Do you make monthly crafting goals? During December, I made it a goal to use up the ever-growing pile of paper scraps. Earlier this month, I attended a retreat and, instead of bringing full sheets of paper, I only brought my bin of paper scraps. This challenged me to find new ways to mix patterns and colors. The result was two really adorable coffee/cocoa cards.
When I was picking out the paper for these cards, I didn’t choose based on season or collection, I selected them based of their color. Knowing what colors go well together is key, so, to help you choose wisely from your scrap stash, I am going to give you a quick lesson on color theory.
The first card is a Christmas card so I wanted a pop of red in the design. One of my go-to color combos is teal and red. On the color wheel, red and green are complementary colors. Teal is a sister to green and blue creating both a complement and a contrast to the red.
Using a green, red, and teal color combination gives me a split complementary combination. I chose teal and red patterns that were subtle then added a holiday pattern with all three colors to pull it all together.
To soften the contrast, I added some neutral colors. I added a strip of white notebook paper with some coffee beans stenciled in grey. I also added a fun little coffee cup cut from black and white tree paper using a die from Honey Bee stamps.
To tie it all together, I added a red candy cane, a holly sticker, and a fun sentiment stamped on a red label sticker that I found in my vintage washi stash.
The second card was also put together using a set of paper scraps, but instead of contrasting red and blue, I decided to take a softer approach by using pink. When choosing paper scraps for your projects, you are picking patterns and colors that will complement each other and evoke feelings in your project. This one just reminds me of sipping cocoa on a snow day.
Color wheel theory tells us that red and green complement one another. So, let’s think this through. Pink is red with white added and teal is a version of green, so these two colors will complement each other because they are relatives of the red and green families.
Once I have decided on the main colors for my projects, I like to add neutrals. The snowflake paper fit the theme and that splash of grey helped to balance out the other colors on the card. I softened the pattern under the thank you sentiment with a strip of vellum that I stitched into place.
Again, I added a sweet little coffee cup which was shaded using TriBlend markers. To create the stenciled polka-dots I used a grit paste that I just love called snowfall. I love the texture that this brings to the project.
Alright, my friends! Are you ready to start digging through your paper scraps to make a few projects? If you are still wondering about how to choose the color combinations, I do have a new workbook available titled Card Color Combinations.
Creating Card Color Combos
Learn how to use the Color Wheel to create stunning color combinations for your cards. This 16-page workbook will teach you how to use the color wheel, show you 24 card examples, and help you come up with color combinations for your own projects.
I hope these projects inspired you to try something new. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.
I hope this inspired you to try something new. If you have any questions about this project or the supplies listed above, feel free to leave me a comment.
Hey friends! I wanted to let you in on the products I use in my videos. Just so you know, I’m not getting paid to promote any of them, but I do have some affiliate links available if you want to check them out. If you end up buying something through those links, it would mean a lot to me and my business. And don’t worry, you won’t be charged any extra. Thanks for your support! Learn more
- Honey Bee Stamps Mugs & Kisses
- Hug in a Mug Stamp Set
- Coffee Bean Background Stencil
- Vintage Labels Stickers
- Charcoal, Harbour, & Ballerina Cardstock