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Magazines are a great resource for artsy picture mats, buttons or other crafty paper projects like coin holder specimens to use as embellishments. Choose an art style, a few stamps, some ink, glue and spruce up your space today.

This project demonstrates coin specimens.

What you’ll need:

• A card stock weight base
• 2.5″ x 5″ strip of your collaged paper
• 2 1/4″ squares for the insert design
• a 1.5″ circle punch

I used this particular punch from EK Tools. If you don’t have it you’ll have to configure your own strip size to make your specimens but the process is the same, just fold and punch a hole in the center on one side of the folded card. You can use any shape punch, heart, circle, star, oval, scallop, the choice is yours. Thinner paper works best for the base as you’ll be folding your specimen.

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The picture mats were collaged on packaging material and cut with a variety of dies to fit several picture frame sizes. Begin with your picture frame sizes to make this task easier. If you don’t have dies you’ll have to cut your mats using an exacto tool or utility knife.

This project uses ‘junk paper’ to create some fabulous items for decor, junk journals or other paper craft projects but don’t let that limit you. You can use wrapping paper, tissue paper, book pages, paper bags or any junk paper.

You can also choose any theme:

• comic books
• letters or text only
• manga
• florals
• plants
• nature
• sports 
• animals
• kitchen
• abstracts
• color or patterns
• vintage

See how many different useful or just fun projects you can create with your new art style exploration. You can also make a bunch of unique ‘artsy’ mats to sell.

Happy paper crafting!