Scrapbook School: Three Ways to Use White Space in your Layouts with Torey!

Hi friends! Welcome back!

Today we are using the (retired) Hearth & Hollow collection and talking about using white space in layouts! When you sit down to create a memory keeping layout, it is easy to get caught up in the "more is more" mindset. We want to add all the pretty papers, the cute embellishments, and every single sticker that fits the theme. But one of the most powerful design tools we have, in my personal opinion, is actually nothing at all: white space.

White space isn't about sticking to a boring, empty background. It is about intentionally leaving open areas on your page so your photos can breathe or to give your focal point of the layout the attention you want it to have!

To show you exactly what I mean, I experimented with the same core photo cluster across three different layouts. Here is how changing the amount of white space completely shifts the vibe of the exact same memory.

For my first layout, my photo cluster sits right in the middle of a large white background, framed on the top and bottom by some layered pattern paper from this collection. I focused most of my ‘decor’ on the cluster that falls immediately around my photo but still kept this pretty minimal, with only 3 small clusters around my photo.

The white space on this layout allows our eyes to focus immediately on the photo and the "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" title. The large white space also acts like a large wall, making the simple moment feel incredibly important and elegant.

For the second layout, I kept the exact same central photo cluster but introduced several mixed-media elements. I layered a large cluster of the mixed media elements from the Ellies of this collection as well as the scattered sequins.

I focused all my elements to the dead center of this layout, which allows the white space around the edges to contain the ‘chaos’. It gives the sequins room to "float" and the mixed media elements room to blend into the white without making the entire layout feel overly cluttered or ‘too much’.

In the final layout, we bring back lots of pattern paper, but we use white space as a structural barrier. The layout features wide patterned and solid paper columns, separated by white columns running vertically down the page. To add a little more character to this one, I also added the edges of some of the mixed media elements to the white space, just to break it up a little bit more.

The white columns on this page help focus attention to where the pattern papers and photo/element clusters lie and keep your attention in those areas, while the white gives your eye a place to rest and calms the layout enough that nothing gets lost!

As you can see, using white space isn't a one-size-fits-all rule. It can be a vast background, a clean border around a chaotic center, or structured columns that cut through patterns. White space is a great way to add interest to any layout! Let us know if you have a favorite!