What's the trick....

To evenly spacing things (um...brads) around the edge of a circle???

I have a photo I mounted on a circle mat and I'd like to put brads around the edge to dress it up, but want them to look at least SOMEWHAT evenly spaced. And I'm sure I won't be much good at that....

Thanks!

ME

hi marla, maybe you could try a protractor, like the kind we used to use in school, im sure they have them at target or walmart for pretty cheap, and that should allow you to draw a very light pencil line around the inside of the circle as a guide for your brads which you can erase after. or you could use a disappearing marker. Good luck!

good question ... I've never made a circle of brads but have seen it and really like how it looks.

I've used circles of individual pieces of bling but just placed them on, without using anything and it turned out fine. I also framed a square with eyelets and it turned out fine too but it'd be nice to know how to do it perfectly!

Instead of going in a line, try adding one at 12 oclock- one at six oclock then one at 3 oclock and one at 9 oclock Etc to give you the four "corners" then you can go in the middle of each of the four, and keep repeating the process as small as you want. ( I ope I explained that ok... )

It might not be exactly perfect, but it's better than what I would do free hand.

GOod luck

• Picture Happy Said:

That's what I was thinking too.. find the center & then go 12,6,9,3 o'clock etc

I would trace the circle shape lightly in pencil using a protractor or tracing a glass/plate/etc.

Then pierce the paper with a pin around the edge of the circle....add the brads after you are sure the shape is right.

The six o'clock/twelve o'clock thing is good, but I have one of these and LOVE it. It's good for lots of other things too.

Love the ruler! But that would probably involve math, huh?? YUCK!

Now that I've had a litte sleep, I remembered another technique I've use somewhere else.

I'm going to try taking a thin strip of paper and carefully wrapping it around the edge of the circle to get the circumfrence of the circle.

Then I can kind of do the 12 o'clock thing by folding the paper in half repeatedly until I get the spacing I want.

Then just hold the pape up to my circle and mark the brad points with a pencil.

Think that will work! I'll try later today and post my results.

Other suggestions appreciated!!

ME

I like the paper folding idea and will have to try it next time.

On this LO


Cam's Baseball year 2
By Scrapinboyz

I just traced a light circle then took a regular ruler and marked a spot every cm around the circle. Once I was happy I pierced the holes for brads (the top right circle) and punched holes (the bottom left circle - put scrap of yellow cs behind the LO) then erased the line and added the brads.

I just usually do it visually but this template would work well too...

I have a circle dot stamp that Iuse for this alot...perfectplacement every time. If i'm too lazy to dig for it, I'll also do the clock thing.

What a great question!! I love all of the ideas mentioned... It is amazing to me how many scrapbooking tools I have never even heard of. Everytime I think I won't want anything else for a while... I read about some amazing tool on here that I just have to have.

I will be adding that Bo Bunny thing to my must get when I have money list

• nado Said:

I have that template and it works beautifully for all size circles.

Definitely recommend!

I just use a ruler. Pencil mark each increment (1" or whatever), then I use my anywhere hole punch to punch holes, then insert brads.


I just did a layout where I traced dinner plate for the circle, then measured and marked every 1/2" with a dot (erased the circle marking), then glued star sequins at each point.
It was tedious, but I like how it turned out.

gosh, there are sooo many cool tools that i dont even know about! good thing for these forums! TFS

Cut a light-weight (vellum) piece of paper into a circle the same size as you want. Then start folding it in half, half again, half again, etc. When you unfold it, you'll have a circle with plainly marked pie-wedge creases. Lay it on top of your main circle and dot at each crease. If you want more brads, it will be be easy to insert an additional one within each pie wedge.

Thanks dwelch! You reminded me that I have a scrap circle I cut out of plain copier paper to get the feel for my circle cutter before I used it on the real paper. That will be easier than the strip of paper I was going to use.

And while I'm thinking about it...that would make a great home-made template!!!

I could take a piece of 12x12 paper and cut the largest circle I can on it, fold it like you said and use that for future circles. Just lay my template over my paper and use an embossing tool or similar to make a small indention on the paper where I want the brad/bling to go.

HEY! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

OOOOO!!! Just had another thought!

I have the Curvy Cutter template I listed below. To use it, you put the cutter inside a plastic gizmo to help you line up your circle where you want it to go. I could do the folding thing you said and use a piercing tool to poke little holes around the plastic template so it would work like that doodling template someone else mentioned. No need to spend more $$$....hubby will be so proud!

ME

I stink at math and kind of panic if I have to use it. I have 3 recent lo in my gallery

Give & Take
By Scrap4brains
Proud Parents
By Scrap4brains
Sweet Two
By Scrap4brains

If I new how to just send the link I would have done that (and it doesn't even require math!) I'm posting all three because I used that flex ruler in three different ways.

This is just what I was looking for in a previous post

http://www.scrapbook.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/14707...

Its the 'old' Cutterbee circle cutter that I was looking for - the hard plastic template that has rows of dots going from a small diameter to a large one. I thought it would be perfect for marking this sort of thing. (I don't have it yet, but I am pretty sure my Sweety found one and has ordered it for me.) I'm not sure how big the actual cutter template is, but in case its only 8 inches or so, I am going to photocopy/enlarge the actual template to 12 inches onto transparency paper - like the clear plastic overhead projector sheets, or a heavy/thick gauge page protector sheet - much like your idea. Then punch in the holes with my anywhere punch and I will be set to go! I thought the plastic would make it a little more durable. Good luck! (Oh, and I am getting those other templates too - this place and these ladies are a priceless source of information!)

OOPS.. missed the last of your post before I posted mine. Great minds think alike!!

definitley the Crafter's Workshop templates!

• Picture Happy Said:

thats so smart! never would have thought of that (and if i did i would NOT be able to explain it that well lol) thanks for that tip!