A Dozen Ways to Dress Up Cardstock

Learn what techniques were applied to these cardstock squares.

Tear the edges for a scrappy look.

Sand white-core cardstock for a distressed and grungy look.

Heat-emboss stamped designs in your cardstock for a DIY background.

Fold and crease with a bone folder for crisp lines and designs on your cardstock.

Manipulate dampened strips into shapes and machine-stitch them into place.

Corrugate cardstock with a paper crimper for a manufactured-cardboard look.

Layer shapes punched from the same color cardstock for a subtle design.

Punch tiny holes for a Swiss-cheese effect. Lay the cardstock on a piece of another color to let pops of that color show through.

Brush on bleach to remove color for an artistic look.

Dry-emboss with an embossing plate for simple accents.

Use a texture plate and embossing tool for standout designs.

Dampen and crumple strips of cardstock. Then machine-stitch them together to make ruffles.