Quick Fixes for Little Scrapbooking Mistakes

I found this great article on another MB and thought I would share:


by Amy Stultz (Jan 11, 2006)

Every scrapper has been there. You have worked all evening on the perfect layout. It is a contest-worthy creation. So beautiful in fact, that a small tear is emerging from the corner of your eye. The perfect layout. The be-all and end-all of layouts.

You lovingly and gingerly carry this magnificent creation into the next room to show it off to your beloved family, all the while preparing yourself to appear modest when faced with their inevitable praise. And then what happens? You hand it to your darling husband who replies, "It is great, honey, but is that how you spell ‘tomorrow'?"

Grrrr....are there two m's or two r's? What's a scrapper to do? Here are a few of my favorite tried-and-true quick fixes.

Rub-On Placement Mistakes


Use a Q-Tip with a small amount of Un-Du on the tip to rub just the portion of the rub-on you choose to remove. Allow the area to dry thoroughly before placing a new rub-on in the same spot.


Use the tip of an Exacto knife to gently scrape the rub-on off the surface of the paper.


Use an adhesive eraser, found in many craft stores, to gently rub the rub-on off.
Incomplete Rub-On Transfer


Use a matching gel pen to fill in the missing spots.


Place an identical rub-on over the surface and add in the missing areas.
Misplaced Stickers


Use Un-Du to remove the sticker. Place the sticker adhesive-side-up to dry. Once the adhesive is dry it will become sticky again.


Gently peel the sticker up and use an adhesive eraser to remove any residue. This method typically ruins the sticker, but does not damage the layout.


Cover the sticker with a larger sticker.


Cover the sticker with a square of coordinating paper. The key is to make it look intentional. Use this new area as a mat for new embellishment.
Misspelled Computer-Generated, Hand-Lettered, or Stamped Journaling


Retype, letter, or stamp the misspelled word onto a piece of cardstock in a slightly smaller font size. Cut out and mat with coordinating paper, and place over the spelling mistake. Do this to several other words to make it blend smoothly into the layout.


Retype, letter, or stamp an entire sentence onto coordinating paper and adhere over the sentence with the mistake.
Small Tears in Pattern Paper or Cardstock


Lightly sand the entire piece of paper for a shabby chic look.


Place another element over the tear.


Ink the entire paper for an aged effect.
Stray Ink Smudges


Lightly ink the entire layout for a distressed look.


Lightly sand the surface of the paper to remove the ink. Sand the paper in several other places for continuity.


Layer an embellishment over the area.
Mis-Cut Paper


Trim the same amount off your paper all around and mat it on a coordinating pattern or color.


Cut the paper in half and pair it up with another half of coordinating paper. Mount both halves onto a piece of cardstock to create a new full sheet.


Cut the remaining paper into strips. Space the strips evenly across a piece of cardstock or behind a photograph as a photo mat.
Partially Stamped Images


Re-ink the stamp. Hold the layout on a light box or sunny window. Line the inked stamp up with the partially stamped image and re-stamp.


Use a gel pen to fill in the missing areas. Fill in and outline random portions of the image to make it blend nicely.


Re-stamp the image onto a coordinating piece of paper and place over the original image.
Excess Adhesive


Use an adhesive eraser to gently rub the excess adhesive off.


Use a small amount of Un-Du on a Q-tip to remove the excessglue.


Scatter small embellishments over the spots to disguise them. Make sure to scatter the embellishments over the entire layout in order to blend it into the layout.
Scratches on Photographs


Lightly sand the surface of the photograph for a distressed look.


Place a sticker, rub-on, or embellishment over the scratch.


Scan the picture into your computer and then use a program such as Photoshop to remove the defect.
Soiled Photographs


Use a soft cotton cloth to gently wipe the surface of the photograph.


Use Un-Du adhesive remover on a soft cloth to gently wipe the surface of the photograph. I have personally had this remove permanent marker from a photo.


Gently clean the surface using the Un-Du PhotoCare Kit.
With a little creativity and ingenuity you are able to work with most scrapping mistakes easily. Now, your darling husband, he is another issue altogether. I am not sure I have any effective solutions for him.