5 Ways to Use Pink in a Layout

I love pink. I love to make a girlish page using pink. I love to use anything from pale baby pinks to rocking, shocking pinks. However, with boys, I don’t get to use anywhere near as much pink as my heart desires. So in addition to the obvious pinks in my girl pages, I have found ways to work pink into my boy pages. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s more subtle (think “hiding carrots in the spaghetti sauce” kind of subtly sneaky). Let me share five of my favorite ways to use pink in a digital scrapbooking layout.

1. Draw inspiration from the background in the photo.

Now, I know you do that all the time, but would you usually pull out pink on a boy layout? This photo of Callan taken at the Royal Show has bright, bold colors, including a few shades of a rather loud pink. By using a black background, I can draw on the pink from the ride as my feature color as the mat and also in my title. The blue would have worked just as well, but I think the pink is a little more unexpected and really pops the green.

2. Use pink to tint a photo.

This photo of me was showing its age, a little too blue and faded.

By correcting the color, I reduced the tint, but the photo looked too modern. By adding a pink overlay and adjusting the opacity, I managed to add just enough dreaminess and age to this photo without the hideous yellow. This idea also works with bright colors, such as with a Pop Art feel.

3. Use a palette.

I had this old photo of me and no color preference to scrap it with. I found the 2015 Color Palette of the Year on the Better Homes and Gardens website which paired a fuchsia with some other colors that I felt worked with my photo.

This removed the guesswork and gave me colors that I knew would work well together.

4. Use pink to tell the story.

These photos are of Callan wearing my headband. First, he had it around his neck like a bowtie and then switched it to the traditional headband location. I used pink in this layout with the dark blue to contrast the girl vs. boy aspect of the photos. Keeping the rest of the layout similar and using pink and blue helped make my point.

5. Use it softly.

My final way to use pink in a layout is not quite as bold as the other examples. Here, pink helps tell the story of my aunties and my mum, but it also helps age the page. Using softer pinks and patterns helps support my photo. I wouldn’t use fluorescent pink or bright pinks in this layout about my auntie turning 60.

Now, none of these ideas are ground-breaking, and some of them may already be techniques you do without even realizing it. Consciously knowing why you are doing them, though, allows you to be more selective about your color choices. I hope these five ideas give you some inspiration on ways to work pink into your pages – even your boy pages! Give one of these ideas a try – and be sure to share your creations with us in the Scrap Girls Gallery.