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Breaking Away from Templates

krscraps

krscraps

I'm a nerd.
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
1,349
I know... I know... you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run...

I go through the gallery and I'm constantly amazed by what people show. Some of the pages are truly flabbergasting. I was just wondering how you break away from having to use templates. I need them like I need my right leg (which is a lot), but I also feel like they're somewhat constricting.

Any tips on how to get better at designing my own layouts and getting off the crutch of templates?
 
Maybe start with the templates, but alter them. Move pieces around, rotate, etc. That will start to give you a feel for personalizing your LOs and open your eyes to new angles. But I wouldn't be so down about using templates - there are so many awesome ones out there!!! =)
 
I'm not down on templates at all. (=

I just wish I could make something without them... if that makes any sense.

Thanks for the tips!
 
Sometimes I start with a template but end up deleting things from it one by one and then I don't have any of the template on my page at all, it comes out with nothing of the template I started with. :) But I love using a template, I will never let my templates go...I love them to much :) Just like Lori said, you can do anything with them :)
 
pick a page you love in the gallery, and try and duplicate it! that way you aren't using templates, but finding your own niche! I never used templates until Amy Martin's and dang I love them so! lol
 
I agree with Anne - instead of a template try scraplifting! This will give you a guide, but without having the strictness of a template and you can get a feel for creating on a blank canvas.

I'm just the opposite of you! I started digi scrapping before templates were even a thing, so it took me a while to get used to using them. I still feel most comfortable with a blank canvas, lol.
 
I agree with Lori. Flip them, rotate them, move stuff around, don't be afraid of your delete key, combine two or three to make one completely new template. You can do it! :)

I didn't start out using templates, so those first couple for me were really difficult. I had a very hard time seeing past what was already provided on the page. But it gets easier. You could always create your own template. I do this often... I create the basic shapes on my page and then clip papers and things to them.
 
toriloowho said:
I agree with Lori. Flip them, rotate them, move stuff around, don't be afraid of your delete key, combine two or three to make one completely new template. You can do it! :)

I didn't start out using templates, so those first couple for me were really difficult. I had a very hard time seeing past what was already provided on the page. But it gets easier. You could always create your own template. I do this often... I create the basic shapes on my page and then clip papers and things to them.
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This.
 
Angie4b1g said:
I have no desire to break away from templates. :giggle
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This, LOL. Although I do love a good scraplift every once in a while!

OH, and art journal pages are a great way to go template-less... just throw stuff you love on the page and move it around until you like it ;).
 
AnneofAlamo said:
pick a page you love in the gallery, and try and duplicate it! that way you aren't using templates, but finding your own niche! I never used templates until Amy Martin's and dang I love them so! lol
Click to expand...

This! I was an anti template snob before venturing into The Lilypad- now I love them. As everyone has said, the fun is in altering them to suit your own needs, just jump in, you can't go wrong!
 
I use templates half the time. The other times I just check out paper layouts on boards I follow on Pinterest and get inspired that way, when I'm really in the mood I start from scratch.
 
Lynnette said:
I'm just the opposite of you! I started digi scrapping before templates were even a thing, so it took me a while to get used to using them. I still feel most comfortable with a blank canvas, lol.
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Just like Lynette, I feel very constricted w/templates. Altho I love the pages done from templates, I will still hesitate 300 million times before buying them. :giggle

But when I'm using the template, I will only keep the photo placement.
 
Angie4b1g said:
I have no desire to break away from templates. :giggle
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I'm glad to know i'm in good company! ; )

My suggestion to move towards creating layouts without a template is to take 3 layouts you like and pick one thing about each that you like and do those things in your paage. It will give you a starting point without any constraints, and you can build on it from there.
 
I also started scrapping before there were templates... but I don't want to scrap without them. I do sometimes take 2 or 3 and combine them and I feel like that gets my creativity flowing a little more. I think that templates sometimes keep a scrapper from discovering her personal style. I had my personal style going long before there were templates so I know which templates appeal to me and why they appeal to me. Maybe if you try combine the parts that you like out of several templates, it will help you discover your style and give you a starting point when not using a template.
 
I love templates but I tend to alter them, so by the time it's finished it really doesn't look like the template anymore. There is nothing wrong with templates. So don't get yourself down
 
You don't have to go to the other side of the rainbow to check if there is a pot of gold. Maybe your pot of gold is already inside your template folder. What I am trying to say is don't stop using templates, just don't let them constrain you. Move things around... maybe even merge template. I wrote a tutorial on our blog about merging templates to create something different. You can check it out HERE.
 
Angie4b1g said:
I have no desire to break away from templates. :giggle
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Another one here too! :)

But, I do like to play with templates by changing them up. And occasionally, I start with a template and realize that I turn all the layers off and do my own thing.
 
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