From the article: How to Mat a Photo for Scrapbooking
Photo mats are the most basic scrapbook page embellishments, however they can also become some of the most prominent when you include some exciting scrapbooking techniques. What is your favorite way to embellish a photo mat? Do you decorate with punches, stickers, buttons, brads, hand-stitching? Share your scrapbooking ideas with other readers here on About.com Scrapbooking. Share Your Ideas
Colors of Mats
- I like to use a double mat of black and white against the photo and then a coordinating color or two against the paper background. The colors in the photo guide me as to whether I use black against the photo first or white. It really makes the photo pop.
- —Guest Candicello
embellish
- Sometimes I use craft foam to cut out shapes & letters. It gives a bit of dimension.
- —Guest joyce
Ribbons
- Sometimes I like to use brads and ribbon to go around the mat, about 1/8" in, and attach with plain mini brads on three corners, then a larger/fancier brad on the final corner. On the final corner I sometimes leave tails about an inch or two long. Another thing I sometimes do, to give the appearance of double matting without using as much space, is to use Stazon brand ink and ink my photo edges about 1/4" all the way around. Kind of pops the photo from the mat.
- —Guest lucinda72
photo mats embellishments
- I like to tear the paper and then chalk or ink the torn edges. I sometimes then put a straight mat behind all of it. Depends on where my mind is I guess.
- —Guest JM
mat embellishment
- I like to dry and/or heat emboss the mats. It makes them stand out more. I also like to do a solid cut on one layer of a multi layer mat and design scissor cuts on the other layer or layers.
- —Guest scraptist
