One of our favorite tips for color-coordinating in crafts is to look to nature. When in doubt, look at how colors appear in the natural world—it’s hard to go wrong by applying this advice to a craft project. You may be surprised to see how often the color combinations you come across on a walk or while looking through outdoor vacation photos align with what you’ve learned about color theory and the color wheel so far.
Take, for example, the lilacs that bloom in the springtime. The naturally occurring fuschia shades are directly across the wheel from the color found in their bright green leaves! Try this with other flowers, vistas, and even animals—you’ll soon understand why so many artists love and find inspiration in the great outdoors.
Another simple trick for how to coordinate colors in crafting is to look for inspiration online. Plenty of crafters and artists love to share their work and we get to benefit from it. A quick search for pretty color combinations on Pinterest or checking out relevant hashtags on Instagram can give you tons of color inspiration for scrapbooking and cardmaking.
Our last, and maybe most helpful, hack for coordinating colors in crafting is to use the color wheel created by Stampin’ Up! for this exact purpose. Think of it as a cheat sheet that reveals innumerable color combinations that perfectly align with the products you already own or can easily shop for after falling in love with a particular palette. Incorporating all our color collections—Brights, Neutrals, Regals, and Subtles—the Stampin’ Up! color wheel follows the same rules as the original but with more dynamic and plentiful results.
Explore it using the rules you learned about monochromatic, analogous, complementary, and triadic colors to find unexpected new color combinations for your next crafting project!
Crafting with Color: Best Practices and Combinations
Stampin’ Up! has made it super easy to use best practices when it comes to color coordination in crafting. Because the best color combinations in scrapbooking follow color theory guidelines, we have created color families that perfectly coordinate no matter the occasion.
Consider our Subtles line—it’s a combination of calming colors that still breathe a little life and joy into whatever sentiment you want to capture in your project.
Utilizing Step-by-Step Stampin’ Up! kits is another great way to produce a variety of crafts and scrapbooking projects with purposefully complementary elements every time. This is a great option for beginners who don’t yet feel confident in their ability to find the best color combos or for the busy maker who enjoys the convenience of well-thought-out supplies and materials. This Love This Memory Notebook Kit is a great example!
Our best advice when it comes to crafting with color? Experiment! Playing around with color combinations that speak to you or whoever else you may be creating for is one of the best parts of the creative process. This often leads to the production of unique and heartfelt creations that wouldn’t exist without the joy of your own discovery.
Check back tomorrow for: Frequently Asked Questions: Color Coordinating in Crafts and Scrapbooking
What a great bonus! Including Stamp Pads, Cardstock, DSP and Markers
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