Turn Napkins Into Scrapbook Paper {Tutorial}

Do you ever have a battle with yourself in the napkin isle?  As strange as it may sound, I can say I do.  I love cute napkins, but I hate to buy them knowing that they'll just be used to smear food around and then be thrown away.

I was in World Market a few days ago and had the battle once again.  They have so many cute summer napkins there right now, but I walked out without a single one. 

Well, how's this for coincidence, that same day my mother-in-law told me she'd found a video on YouTube about transferring napkins to card stock.  What!?  All my napkin problems were solved.  I could use napkins for more than the occasional spill.  

This is a napkin my mother-in-law found in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Isn't it too cute to be ruined?  I kind of think so.

And here's what the napkin looks like after transferring it to card stock.  This was a first attempt, and the edges may be a bit rough, but it is honestly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen!  The new napkin/paper is thick, durable, and has amazing texture!  It's hard to capture the difference on film, so you have to try this for yourself.  You'll be amazed!

              

Here's the YouTube video tutorial.  You're basically going to make a sandwich with two pieces of scratch paper for the bread, your napkin, Saran Wrap (this is what adheres the napkin to the paper), and your card stock as the meat and cheese.  Then you iron.  Just watch the video and you'll have no problem trying it for yourself.  

My mother-in-law also tried it with tissue paper.  It was a tab bit trickier, and she actually ended up taking the top piece of scratch paper off and just lightly ironing right on the tissue paper.  

Once again, the picture doesn't do it justice, but you can kind of see the great texture the paper has now.  Just like with transferring the napkins, I love how durable the paper is now. Tissue paper can be so cute, but it too is often just thrown away.  This way you can use it for much more (cards, banners, framed as art on the wall, just about anything).  

Stay tuned for more projects like this.  I need to head back to World Market and stock up on napkins (no more battles:)).

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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