Construction paper

Aug '06 Gothickitty

I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.
Aug '06 Eon's Momma

RE: Gothickitty: I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.

I am pretty sure it isn't. Have you ever seen a piece after a couple of years, like from an old school project. It fades and starts to deteriorate.
Aug '06 Richelle

RE: Gothickitty: I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.

I have used it a few times, no fading yet!
I don't use it unless I am out of cardstock and need it for a page I am doing right then.
I do have to say I found a note I had written my dad when I was like 2 the other day on constuction paper. It had not faded at all. I guess it depends on how you care for it.
Aug '06 Hawgmn1

RE: Eon's Momma: I am pretty sure it isn't. Have you ever seen a piece after a couple of years, like from an old school project. It fades and starts to deteriorate.

I use to wonder the same thing as I never knew there was a difference when I first started scrapbooking a few years ago. My first album was for my DH and he wont let me redo it. I used alot of construction paper and it fades out real bad and the glue even stops sticking after awhile too. She will be spending more in the long run if she continues to use construction paper.
Aug '06 Cynderellaj

RE: Hawgmn1: I use to wonder the same thing as I never knew there was a difference when I first started scrapbooking a few years ago. My first album was for my DH and he wont let me redo it. I used alot of construction paper and it fades out real bad and the glue even stops sticking after awhile too. She will be spending more in the long run if she continues to use construction paper.

If you have one of those acid tester pens, you could get a piece and find out if it is or not.
Aug '06 Richelle

RE: Cynderellaj: If you have one of those acid tester pens, you could get a piece and find out if it is or not.

where do you get that from?
Aug '06 Stepnut

RE: Richelle: where do you get that from?

It is much like newsprint, in that it has a lot of lignin which will cause it to get brittle and crumble too.
Aug '06 Scrappershelley

RE: Stepnut: It is much like newsprint, in that it has a lot of lignin which will cause it to get brittle and crumble too.

I know they make acid free construction paper. It doesn't say anything about being lignin free though.
I would make sure it is free of both acid and lignin before I would use it.
I would hate to put so much time into something that is just going to deteriorate over time. JMO
Aug '06 Moonflower

RE: Stepnut: It is much like newsprint, in that it has a lot of lignin which will cause it to get brittle and crumble too.

I just passed some in Walmart last night and noticed that the construction paper packages in the back to school aisle said they were acid free.

Which means I mighta fibbed to my friend who I told it wasn't. So, maybe some of it is acid-free now.
Aug '06 Moonflower

RE: Moonflower: I just passed some in Walmart last night and noticed that the construction paper packages in the back to school aisle said they were acid free. Which means I mighta fibbed to my friend who I told it wasn't. So, maybe some of it is acid-free now.

Oh, good point about the lignin free part. I didn't notice if it said that or not.
Aug '06 Zoey0704

RE: Moonflower: Oh, good point about the lignin free part. I didn't notice if it said that or not.

I would think if the package says it, it's ok,but if you're still unsure, get one of those pens and test it.

patty o.
Aug '06 Mother Goose

RE: Gothickitty: I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.

Some packages say its acid free, but have you ever noticed how fast it fades. I know we like to keep our scrapbooks out of the sunlight, but try this - place a sheet of construction in the sunlight for a day or so and then compare it to one that has not been exposed to sunlight and you can see an almost immediate difference. Just my thoughts.
Aug '06 Nancy Keslin

RE: Mother Goose: Some packages say its acid free, but have you ever noticed how fast it fades. I know we like to keep our scrapbooks out of the sunlight, but try this - place a sheet of construction in the sunlight for a day or so and then compare it to one that has not been exposed to sunlight and you can see an almost immediate difference. Just my thoughts.

Yep, construction paper fades fast! We like to use it to make nature prints around here! Fun craft for those with kids...

Place a leaf on the paper, lightly tape it down. Set in the son for a few hours. Very pretty print of your leaf is left.

It also tends to become very brittle over time and crack. That is my experience anyway. Your results may vary!
Aug '06 Ottawascrapper

RE: Nancy Keslin: Yep, construction paper fades fast! We like to use it to make nature prints around here! Fun craft for those with kids... Place a leaf on the paper, lightly tape it down. Set in the son for a few hours. Very pretty print of your leaf is left. It also tends to become very brittle over time and crack. That is my experience anyway. Your results may vary!

i buy the crayola and it is acid free
Aug '06 Scrappingbeth

RE: Ottawascrapper: i buy the crayola and it is acid free

I thought I was told (once upon a time) that it is not safe for scrapbook use. So, I've always just avoided it.
Aug '06 Evenight001

RE: Scrappingbeth: I thought I was told (once upon a time) that it is not safe for scrapbook use. So, I've always just avoided it.

it is acid free, and it depends on what you use it for.

When i make paperbag albumns for the kids and I know that next week they will not know where it is? or to make embellies for cards and gift bags...its wonderful.
Aug '06 Ilovenick

RE: Evenight001: it is acid free, and it depends on what you use it for. When i make paperbag albumns for the kids and I know that next week they will not know where it is? or to make embellies for cards and gift bags...its wonderful.

If it doesn't specifically say acid and lingin free- I wouldn't use it.
Aug '06 MsVisaDeNied

RE: Ilovenick: If it doesn't specifically say acid and lingin free- I wouldn't use it.

I love the feel of cardstock, construction paper is cheap, but it looks it too.
Aug '06 Manda_K

RE: MsVisaDeNied: I love the feel of cardstock, construction paper is cheap, but it looks it too.

I wouldn't use it just because it isn't very sturdy.
Aug '06 Judy_Scraps

RE: Eon's Momma: I am pretty sure it isn't. Have you ever seen a piece after a couple of years, like from an old school project. It fades and starts to deteriorate.
Eon's Momma Said:
Have you ever seen a piece after a couple of years, like from an old school project. It fades and starts to deteriorate.

That was my thought as well. I have a bunch of old school projects and the paper doesn't look as good as it once did.
Aug '06 Moonhoney2

RE: Gothickitty: I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.
gothickitty Said:
I have a friend who uses construction paper in her scrapbooks and doesnt understand why I spend so much on cardstock. Is construction paper acid free? I would love to be able to tell her its not.
Aug '06 Moonhoney2

RE: Nancy Keslin: Yep, construction paper fades fast! We like to use it to make nature prints around here! Fun craft for those with kids... Place a leaf on the paper, lightly tape it down. Set in the son for a few hours. Very pretty print of your leaf is left. It also tends to become very brittle over time and crack. That is my experience anyway. Your results may vary!
homesclscrapper Said:
Yep, construction paper fades fast! We like to use it to make nature prints around here! Fun craft for those with kids...

Place a leaf on the paper, lightly tape it down. Set in the son for a few hours. Very pretty print of your leaf is left.

It also tends to become very brittle over time and crack. That is my experience anyway. Your results may vary!

I was going to mention this. We did this all teh time in school.
Aug '06 Scrappinmac

RE: Moonhoney2: homesclscrapper Said: Yep, construction paper fades fast! We like to use it to make nature prints around here! Fun craft for those with kids... Place a leaf on the paper, lightly tape it down. Set in the son for a few hours. Very pretty print of your leaf is left. It also tends to become very brittle over time and crack. That is my experience anyway. Your results may vary! I ...

I got some at Sam's several months ago for church and the label said it was acid free. It may even have been lignin free, because I remember thinking I could use it for scrapbooking (I think the label even said it could be used for that). I don't remember if the paper was fadeless, but I know you can get fadeless construction paper, usually at teacher stores. Read the labels carefully- there's a lot more acid free/lignin free stuff out there than we think!