Stitching on thinner pages can be tricky but there are some things you can do to keep from tearing your pages. The first trick is the most obvious one. Back you patterned page with a thicker card stock piece and glue them together.

If you are only stitching in a small portion of your page and do not want to back it you can use a piece of ribbon that has a thick enough width to cover your stitched area. Glue the ribbon to the back side of the paper and stitch through it. It will hold your paper together and prevent holes and tearing.

Cross Stitching Material works really well to. Use your paper piercer to punch your holes as you would normally do. Then use a glue stick to place the Cross Stitch Fabric behind your intended stitching area. It doesn't need to stick with really good bond. It just needs to be glued well enough to not bunch or shift. Then Stitch as you normally would through the fabric backing. Once you have finished you can trim the fabric backing. You can also determine the thickness of this fabric between other pieces on your page to add a layered texture to your page.

If you don't have ribbon or cross stitch material as scrap of regular fabric will due. Punch holes as you normally would. Use the glue stick to place the fabric where you need it just enough so it doesn't move or bunch. Then start your stitching. Once again the fabric will hold your page together and prevent the dreaded tearing and shredding of your layout.

Backing your stitched areas on papers and tissues that are more see through allows you to not only stitch a very weak paper but you can also use a patterned material to add depth to your designs. Stitching through any see through piece becomes possible with a patterned backing since the stitch will hide behind the backing.

In reality you can use a variety of materials to back your stitching. These are just a few ideas. If you are using a thicker floss or fiber for stitching you should always back it with something to prevent tearing. With this tip you can now use larger fibers is confidence.

Add texture to your pages by stitching borders around patterns on your paper. Stitching has no boundaries and even if you have never done it before. A plain straight stitch works every time.