things that shine: how to make a divided page, layered, home-y style page for the holidays

Hi everyone!

It's Thanksgiving season here in Canada, and although our days aren't terribly cold yet, there's something about this holiday that just makes me want to get cozy with a pumpkin pie. And, I want my Thanksgiving layout to feel that way, too! Read on for some tips on making a cozy home-inspired layout that remains clearly organized by a striking page divide.

5 tips to make your holiday layouts cozy and layered:

1. Divide your layered background with a bold title. On this page I've kept the layering to one side, while keeping the left side clear, with just a photo and a bold title. The title is lined up along the centre of the page, where the two photos meet, making a very clear line of division. The book page layered background keeps the whole layout feeling cohesive while the strong dividing line keeps the busy clustering to one side and not overwhelming the page.

2. Get personal. What feels homelike to me may not seem that way to you! And so, the reverse is also true. If home to you means bright colours and clean lines, then that's the direction your layout needs to take, too.

3. Identify icons. What reminds you of home, or family? Even if those items aren't present at your holiday celebration, including them in your page will evoke feelings of nostalgia and love. For me, this meant including paper patterned with canning jars, including little bits of string, and eclectic bits of paper and tags. These things all remind me of treasures found in my grandmother's cabinets or great aunt's basement.

4. Make it seasonal, your way. I'm not a terribly traditional person (I know, right? I bet your SHOCKED!) so instead of including more typical red, orange, and other autumnal hues on this page, I went with bits of pink and gold. My watercolour oak leaves are a reminder of fall, but I patterned them in a way that suited me, instead of a more traditional take.

5. Be the family story-keeper. The title of this page is a long-time favourite family phrase, and although I've never scrapped its origins, I feel that by including it on this page, I'm doing my part to keep it alive. I hope that even if I never scrap the story of "will there be pie?" that just having this layout in my album will keep it alive through re-telling when we see this page in our album.

Leaves and gold paper doilies and buttons and tags, oh my!

When making a page like this, I just have fun tucking in little bits and pieces until I feel like the page is full. Here I've layered an embossed leather patch under a house cut out of woodgrain vellum... plus there's fabric buttons, an adorable acorn charm, and lots of old book pages!