Paper Tearing - Tear Into It by Jennifer Blackham

 

One of the simplest techniques in scrapbooking is paper tearing. It requires no tools, and it is fast and easy. If you are unfamiliar with paper tearing, it is just what it sounds like - the tearing of paper. Paper tearing can take a number of forms on your pages; backgrounds, borders, images, lettering, pretty much anything. If you haven't experimented with paper tearing before, your background layout is a very good way to start. Torn paper adds a very unique look to snow or beach layouts with really no work at all.

Take your cardstock (cardstock is easier to tear than the thinner printed paper) and holding it flat against a table with one hand - start at the edge and slowly pull the paper up with the other hand. It take a little practice to get the paper to tear in a straight line - but the uneven edges are really what gives paper tearing its charm. Layer white cardstock for snow, tan for sand, and you are ready to add your pictures. You will be amazed at how quickly you can complete your pages. Torn paper also looks great as the entire background. Take a look at your photographs - often there are layers in the picture itself that can be easily duplicated with paper. We recently returned from a family trip to Bear Lake and I used paper tearing as the backdrop for every layout.

Not only did the technique tie the different pages together, but I was able to complete many pages in no time at all. Although torn backgrounds are very simple - they look fantastic. Another very simple way to incorporate torn edges into your layout, is in your lettering. The torn and layered letters are simple to create, yet they tend to really stand out, making your layout more memorable (see the article on layering your letters for step-by-step instructions). If you used torn paper in your background, layering torn paper into you letters is a great way to tie your titles into the look and theme of your page. Torn paper also works great to border or frame your photographs. The uneven edges of torn paper add a rustic, country look.

The look is so popular that decorative scissors have even been made to resemble the look of torn paper. Again - you don't need to have perfectly straight edges, the irregular, rough edges are part of the look you are after. Finally - Instead of cutting paper to create images (Paper Piecing)- bag the scissors and simply use your hands. Although the paper tearing and paper piecing are similar, the finished products look quite different. With paper tearing - because it is harder to control a tear than a cut, patterns may need to be broken down into more pieces. For example - I have created a turkey using both paper piecing and paper tearing. In the pieced turkey, the body and tail are both one piece. In the torn turkey, the tail consists of five separate strips, and the body is broken down into three pieces (head, neck and tail).

The top turkey was done using paper piecing while the bottom turkey was created by using paper tearing.

Paper tearing is also a great alternative for children. The designs that can be created are very easy, and they don't require the use of scissors or xacto knives. It is also a great way to use up some of those scraps. It does take some practice to get the feel of how the paper will tear. The direction and speed will effect the look of the tear, and one side of the tear always has a much rougher look than the other. Don't worry too much about making your pieces uniform - they all tend to blend together in the final piece. Tearing is not for everyone - but the primitive look is a popular one, and often will enhance certain photos more than formal presentation would. So tear into it and see what torn wonders you can come up with!

 

This article and the images contained herein are copyright 2000 Jennifer Blackham and Scrappers Haven. Articles and designs are for private use. Any publication whether in print or online must receive written permission and be accompanied by credit to both the artist and Scrappershaven.com