A few months ago, I shared a secret here on the blog. I admitted that I hadn’t been a big fan of layout templates until working on that assignment. Since then, I have fallen in love with them. Seriously! Digital scrapbooking layout templates are the best thing since green eggs and ham. Let me share my top five reasons why I love them so much:
1. Templates are quick!
Using a layout template speeds up my scrapbooking significantly. A couple of pictures, papers, and a clipping mask or two, and you’re well on your way to a finished layout. I’m working on an album from a recent trip to Florida, and it amazes me just how quickly the pages are falling into place.
2. Templates are so versatile!
Always budget conscious, I feel like I really get a lot for my money with layout templates. The same template can be used over and over, and pairing it with different papers and embellishments can give me a totally different look. Templates can always be rotated which gives lots more layout options. If, for example, a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album comes with six layout templates and you flip each template horizontally or rotate it (or flip it and then rotate it), you get 48 different layouts from one set! (Each layout can be rotated and/or flipped to produce eight different templates, so 6×8=48. Imagine that! A whole album’s worth of layouts in one product!) They will all have a similar feeling and style, so they will all work together nicely. Paired with one or two coordinating collections, creating a mini album or book from a vacation or trip will come together in a snap.
3. Templates make it easy to create a cohesive album, without being boring or repetitive.
In this layout, I opened one template, duplicated it (File > Duplicate), and then flipped one of the files horizontally. I laid out both layouts at the same time, intending them to be on facing pages in my album. With a little tweaking, I have an instant two-page spread.
4. Templates are a creative jumpstart.
Sometimes we all get scrappers-block. Instead of sitting down to scrapbook and staring at a blank 12×12-inch document on the computer with no idea where to start, a template gives you a frame to begin building a layout within. Often by the time I’m finished, the layout doesn’t really resemble the template I started with, but it helps me begin. And often, beginning is the hardest part.
5. Templates encourage me to try something new!
Sometimes I feel like I need a little hand-holding when trying a new style or technique — digital training wheels, if you will. If you haven’t played with blending a photo into the background or making a funky geometric collage, a layout template is a great way to experiment because the designer has done all the hard parts for you – just clip your pictures and papers to the masks and trust the design.
If you haven’t played around with layout templates, I hope you’ll give them a try! There is a huge variety to try in the store. You might just find you like them! In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, “Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may I say!”
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