We all love to create projects, but we wind up with a lot of leftovers, don't we? This month I was presented with a challenge to make a layout and projects using the scraps.

I started out with a sheet of Bazzill cardstock, three sheets of BasicGrey Lime Rickey paper, a pack of American Crafts Thickers, and the Lime Rickey Coordinating sticker sheet.

First, I made my layout. I added a label sticker and a piece of rickrack from my stash.

I was left with half a sheet of blue paper, about ¾ of a sheet of blue rectangle paper, two 1" strips of yellow paper, and a whole lot of stickers.

I found a sheet of folded cardstock in my stash to match. I decided to make a card with the scraps. I cut some of the blue rectangle paper into a label shape, added a sentiment from the sticker sheet, a piece of ribbon from my stash, and a robot stamped image from Queen Kat Designs. Then I needed a mat, so I added a 8 ½" x 11" sheet of cardstock to the mix. I cut a mat for the card, and assembled it.

I still had some BasicGrey scraps, and now I had a new scrap from the cardstock I had just cut, so I made another card. For this one, I used the blue rectangle paper as a mat, added one of the strips from the yellow paper, a sticker, and another stamped image from Queen Kat Designs.

I was left with a few scraps anyway to put in my scrap file.

I don't usually use a whole sheet of paper on any of my projects. More often, I end up using half a sheet or less. So I have developed a system for storing the scraps. I use a large accordion file. I like to sort my paper scraps by look or manufacturer. Whenever I create a new layout, I go to my accordion file first to see if there is anything usable before cutting into a new sheet of paper. Because I use them regularly, I am able to find the paper I need fairly easily using this system.

The same thing goes for letter stickers. I love them, and I have them in all kinds of colors and fonts. Whenever I open a new pack, I store them in a long storage container that I purchased at Target. Then, when I need to create a title, I consult my container of open packs before reaching for a new pack.

Another item where a little goes a long way is ribbon. I store my ribbon in a clear bag that has holes in it. I am able to pull out as much as I need for a project and the rest stays in the bag for next time.

Using the leftovers from your layouts can be a real money saver. I challenge you to create at least two projects from one set of materials. Then share it in the gallery for us all to see.