Repeated shapes are a simple design trick that can instantly bring balance and flow to a scrapbook page. By repeating circles, hearts, stars, or other motifs, you create a sense of rhythm that guides the eye and pulls the whole layout together without feeling busy or overworked.
These scrapbook layout ideas using repeated shapes show how this easy technique can be used in a variety of styles, from clean and simple pages to more layered designs. Whether you’re new to scrapbooking or just looking for a fresh approach to layout design, repeating shapes is an effective way to add visual interest while keeping your pages cohesive and easy to recreate.
Circles are a great shape to repeat on a layout like Traci used all over her wonderful sailing page. She cut her photos in circles as well as lots of different pattern papers and she used different sizes as well as tiny round gems. Notice how she also included a few squares to balance out the layout. Learn more at the Cocoa Daisy blog.
When you’re stumped for layout ideas I recommend going back to the basics like basic shapes, think circles, squares, triangle, stars, etc. and then take it a step further and repeat that shape all over your design. Repeated shapes are easy, quick and add lots of movement to a scrapbook page. Use all the same size of your chosen shape or vary them for even more interest. I love nesting dies for this technique so you can go from very small to pretty large shapes but a paper trimmer, punches or electronic die cutting machine are all great ways to cut out simple shapes too. So let’s get inspired and take a look at some fabulous scrapbook layouts that use repeated shapes.
Below each photo you’ll see a link, click it for details like tutorials, products used and techniques.
This fun outdoorsy layout from Karlla has a stack of triangles cut from different pattern papers, notice how the top triangle of double sided paper is folded over with an embellishment and flowers are also tucked in, this adds nice breaks in the design. Learn more at the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog.
You can also cut a shape out of shape to create frames like Sophie did with the most of the squares on her sweet page. She embellishment them with vellum paper, fussy cut flowers and sentiment strips. I love all the texture from stitching and paper tearing too! Find more info at the Paige Taylor Evans blog.
Round the end of triangle for a pie wedge shape like Jil used on her Travelers Notebook pages. Each section is a different pattern in a half circle on one side which adds lots of additional colors that coordinate with the photos. She breaks it all down at The Cherry on Top blog.
This kitschy carnival layout is all rectangles, with advertising images and photos all clustered around the center, each overlapping a bit. The primary colors, background patterns and scalloped trim help add to the nostalgic feel too. I spotted this on the Echo Park Paper Instagram page.
The easiest of repeated patterns are squares, in this adorable layout from Tonya is a grid design with squares cut from different pattern papers with cute embellishments in many of them. The faux stitching she included between each block gives this a sweet patchwork quilt feel. Take a closer look at the Doodlebug blog.
Here’s a super fun departure from simple shapes, word bubbles! Angela used a patterned paper background and also dies of word bubbles with stamped sentiments along the top. She balanced those with a row of photos along the bottom and lots of fun embellishments all around. Find more info at the Spellbinders blog.
Diamonds can also give the wonderful look of a quilt like Traci used on two darling kitty cat pages. On one layout there’s lots of diamonds almost covering the entire background, the other used them in a row for a wide border effect. Learn more at the Artsy Albums blog.
Ali used triangle in a smart way, adding them around a large circle to create a fun sun. Note how the there’s also two layered circle on the sun, rectangle sentiment strips and lots of tiny dot circles between each point. Don’t be afraid to mix repeated shapes! Take a closer peek at the Simple Stories blog.
Allison filled her page background with rows and rows of stars. She took them a step further and cut them all in half, piecing them back with different papers, stitching around the edges of each star. She mentions how this technique could be used with lots of other shapes and I totally agree! Take a closer look at the Allison Davis for Scrapbook Generation blog.
Debbi repeated hexagon shapes in a wide border across the center of her sweet layout, these work really well with anything bee related. She also got nice textures with pom pom and rick rack trims, sewing and a thick acrylic title and bees. Learn more at the Bramble Fox blog.
And lastly here’s a lovely repeated chevron pattern on a layout from Paula. I love how she has a bright blue among the softer greens , it helps move the eye around. And there’s texture from faux stitching and paint splatter in black to match the title. I spotted her idea on the Uniquely Creative Kits Instagram page.
I hope you’ve found some interesting ways to incorporate repeating shapes on your next scrapbook layout!
-Heather
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