How to Make Chipboard

Written By
Dustin Pitan
Dustin Pitan
Published: Jan 31, 2010
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
2 minute read

If you are an avid scrapbooker or designer, you probably already know what a chipboard is; if not, it is simply a thicker piece of cardboard that you apply to your scrapbook pages or covers to give it a 3-D appearance. Store-bought chipboard comes in many shapes and sizes, but they can be pricey. A more money-conscious activity would be to make them yourself with items around the house.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Scrapbook Paper And Glue
  • Sandpaper
  • Spray Adhesive
  • Paper With Pattern On It
  • Thick Cardboard (Back Of Writing Pads, Posterboard, Cardboard Boxes)
  • Scissors Or X-Acto Knife
  • Draw out a rough sketch of how you want your chipboard to look like. Once it's to your satisfaction, transfer the design onto your thick cardboard with a marker. Often the designs are such things as letters or flowers. You can use any form of thicker paper--the backs of writing pads, poster boards, cereal boxes or even cardboard boxes work great.

    On the other side of the cardboard, spray your adhesive onto the board. Make sure to place newspaper down and be in a well-ventilated area so as to not make a mess or inhale too much of the fumes.

    Apply the paper with a pattern printed on it to the face of the cardboard that you sprayed the adhesive onto. Flatten the paper out, eliminating air bubbles, and allow it to sit for at least an hour to dry.

    Turn the cardboard over after you've given the board time to dry--you should now see the pattern that you drew in marker to your board in step one.

    Cut around the outline of the design with your scissors or your X-Acto knife until you have the chipboard piece you want.

    Use sandpaper to smooth the edges of the chipboard. Often, when hand cutting, you will leave straight edges or uneven spots; sanding helps eliminate that and make a more appealing design.

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    Use scrapbooking glue to glue your homemade chipboard onto your scrapbook paper, thus finishing your chipboard.

    References

    Dustin Pitan

    Dustin Pitan lives in Orlando, Fla., where he recently graduated from Full Sail University, earning his second bachelor's degree. He holds one in English from St. Cloud University in Minnesota, and one in film making. Pitan has…

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