How To Use Cardstock To Make Pattern Paper

Layout made with a shapes punched out from Cardstock.

This fair layout started with a 12 x12 sheet of black cardstock.

Next added was an 11 x 11 sheet of white cardstock. On top of that placed in the middle was a sheet of 12 x 4-inch black cardstock.

Black cardstock strip is applied to the middle of the layout.

After these were glued in place you will need to pick out your punches, and cardstock colors you’d like to use on the layout to make your pattern paper.

I chose the following colors from CutCardstock Online Store. I love the color selections, choice of paper weights, and the super fast shipping. The colors I chose for my project were:

Pop Tone Orange Fizz , Pop Tone Razzleberry, Pop Tone Wild Cherry , Cardstock, and the Classic Crest Solar White Cardstock

Using those colors I punched out two different sizes of circles with my punches. These could also be done with a die-cut machine in any pattern you wish to use. These circles when glued in place became my pattern paper. I chose the colors that I wanted to highlight in my photo.

Layout with the punched out shapes glued in place.

After gluing the circles down in an eye-pleasing pattern I rotated my layout and started adding my photos, journaling block, and embellishments. Below is the top left photo and sticker accents. The photo is held in place with brads.

Here is the journaling block and main photo. The title on this page was made using a third photo that I had taken of the “Lucky Duck” carnival booth. I just trimmed it down and made a title out of it.

Bottom portion of the layout with title and journaling block.

I also made several other samples of how you could use cardstock to make your own pattern paper. Here are a few of those samples:

The squares above were not glued in place, so they were not perfectly aligned. It was made as a sample only.

All those punched out shapes and squares were made with just 2 sheets per color of cardstock. (this does not include the background sheets.) So making your pattern paper can be very economical, and it provides you the opportunity to make your pattern paper match your photo colors.