Go into any store or look in any popular scrapbooking or cardmaking magazine, and you’ll see a plethora of flowers, glitter, pinks, and purples. Great for springtime and summer, but not so helpful when it comes to creating gifts and cards for the men in your life. Sometimes you can find a few lines that will carry some unisex or heritage items that can be adapted. Basic Grey is one such line, and StampinUP! has a lot of great darker tones in buttons, ribbon, and more.
Let’s think outside the box a bit, for something new and interesting.
Card and page embellishments that work well for any masculine project can be found anywhere, if you know what you can or cannot use. One place to start: your local hardware store. That’s right!
Since metal is not acidic, it will work for all of your projects. Nuts, bolts, screws, wiring, etc. all add that extra masculine touch, and are very economical. I have found some places that sell such items under scrapbooking branding and packaging for over ten times the cost! Ridiculous! Anyone who knows me, knows that I am all about saving money…I should do some further posts on how to save money and STILL be able to do the scrapbooking you want! Next time!
Often us scrapbookers have an item that would be perfect for the project, but it is the wrong colour. Try distressing it with paint or ink! It will give it that masculine edge it needs, while also changing the colour of the item. Distressing gives that rustic look, which is great for pictures or cards relating to camping, fishing, or hunting. As well, the brown or black tones complement a lot of the clothing colour palettes in men’s fashion. If the men in your life wear brighter colours, then it is even easier to match them, as summer colours complement them nicely. Chipboard items can be easily distressed, covered with paper, or further embellished to make them more masculine.
Wooden items are also functional and can easily be coloured to match. Many craft and dollar stores carry a variety of shapes, and the wooden aspect of the embellishment makes it work well with masculine themes. Even a flamingo doesn’t seem to be as “girly” when it is cut out of wood!
Fabric swatches can also be a great resource. Heavier-weighted materials like corduroy, leather, tweed, or denim work well for masculine projects, and can also be distressed with paint or ink. To attach, try using a heavy-duty glue like the Tombo adhesive. Ordinary snails and double-sided tape likely won’t hold it for long. If covering an album, a hot glue-gun would work well, but ensure that it doesn’t touch photos, as the glue sticks likely aren’t acid-free.
Another material I used in the past for a fishing page about my Dad was an actual chunk from a fish net. It gave it that extra touch it needed (see photo). Wire meshing will also work, and can, again, be distressed! There is a product called “magic mesh” in stores now that is interesting, and comes in a variety of colours. Again, for a cheaper alternative, try drywaller’s mesh tape that can be found at any hardware store. It looks the same, comes in a few neutral colours, and…you guessed it!…can be distressed with ink or paint. The adhesive on it won’t be acid-free, so you’ll likely want to avoid using it with photos, but is great for cards.
Try some different products for your Father’s Day scrapbooking projects, and you’ll soon find yourself using them for your regular projects. I use metal washers a lot, and the StazOn ink works great to stamp images onto them. The larger washers make some funky embellishments, and ribbon compliments it nicely.
Have fun – and have a happy Father’s Day!
- T 
