If you've been sitting on a stack of old photos you no longer want — the blurry ones, the duplicates, the inexplicable shots of nothing in particular — this video is going to give you a dozen reasons not to throw them out just yet. I went through my own albums, pulled out everything I was ready to let go of, and spent a day turning it all into junk journal embellishments, tags, flowers, pockets, and more. The results genuinely surprised me.
What we cover
This is a roundup-style inspiration episode: I show you everything I made from a single pile of unwanted photographs — using both the fronts and backs of the photos — with techniques ranging from die cutting and paper flower making to embossing and alcohol ink backgrounds. The goal isn't a single project; it's a menu of ideas you can pull from depending on what photos and tools you have.
What you'll learn
How to cut tags and layered tags from old photographs — using a die cut machine or punch tools to isolate interesting sections of a photo (a pattern on fabric, a background texture, a patch of color) and build them up in layers. The layered ones end up with an almost 3D, glazy quality without any actual glaze or glossy accents.
How to make paper flowers entirely from photographs, including:
- Single-layer flowers cut from patterned or colorful sections of photos
- Layered flower arrangements that mix photograph petals with fabric flowers and brads
- Using dark or shadowed sections of photos (a photo taken at night, for example) for flowers with unexpected contrast — you genuinely can't tell they came from a photograph
How to use the backs of photographs as art backgrounds — the back of a photo has a smooth, slightly coated finish that takes alcohol inks beautifully. I used my DIY marker-based alcohol ink technique on the backs of a whole pile of photos and ended up with a stack of ready-made backgrounds I can use as pockets, tags, tabs, and collage pieces without worrying about whose face is on the other side.
How to emboss the backs of photographs with an embossing folder — the coating on the back accepts embossing really well. I ran several through my die cut machine with embossing folders, then distressed the result with distress ink, added a stamp and some bling, and the finished pieces look like proper vintage embellishments. One became the cover panel on a small handmade journal.
How to make punched shapes — butterflies, hearts, circles, flowers from photograph sections, choosing areas with interesting color or texture rather than recognizable faces.
How to fold and staple photograph strips into journal tabs — fold a strip of photo in half, cut a small notch to make the shoulder shape, and staple it to a page edge. Fast, sturdy, and the photo surface gives the tab a slightly polished look.
Why working with personal photographs can limit your color palette — something I noticed midway through: my photos skewed heavily toward blues, grays, and darks, with very little warm color. I had to supplement with other materials to get the variety I wanted. Worth knowing before you start so you can plan ahead.
An idea worth developing: embossed photograph tiles — I had the idea of embossing photos first and then cutting them down into small square tiles (one inch, two inch, three inch) to use the way you'd use decorative paper squares. I couldn't get far with it because of the color issue above, but if your photos have more variety, this one could go somewhere interesting.
Tips & gotchas
When you use the back of a photograph in a project — whether as a pocket, a tag, or a background — make sure the original photo side ends up hidden. Either back it onto cardstock before you cut or glue it directly into your project face-down. Otherwise you'll have someone's face peeking out from behind your embellishment.
For embossing, the back of the photo is where it works. The front has a plastic coating that doesn't cooperate well with ink pads either — I tried the smooshed ink pad technique I use for faux ancient paper scrolls, and it barely grabbed any color. Save that technique for absorbent paper. The back coating, though, is ideal for embossing folders.
Sanding photos creates texture, but results vary a lot. I tried it on one photo and wasn't particularly happy with what happened, though I did use a few of the sanded pieces in finished work. If you're curious, test it on something you were definitely going to throw out before committing to a stack.
If you're working only with your own personal photos, do a quick scan of the whole pile before you start cutting. Note what colors you actually have. My pile was almost entirely cool tones — I had to reach for other materials to get warmth into the work. Knowing that upfront would have saved me some mid-session rummaging.
The same instinct applies to magazine pages, wallpaper scraps, old maps — anything with surface color and texture becomes fair game. My next episode goes deep on magazine images, and a lot of what I figured out here with photographs carries straight over.
