definition of bargello - "a style of piecework in which fabric is first sewn in horizontal strips, then cut and arranged in vertical steps to produce undulating designs"
for this tutorial i am showing you how easy it is to recycle and re-use your scraps of patterned papers to create something totally new. bargello is traditionally a sewing thing but it just goes to show once again that crafts do overlap and we can find inspiration everywhere.

i used my bargello bird cage on the layout above as an example of the technique. remember that you can dress up your bargello elements with anything from glitter glue to dimensional glaze.

some diamantes added to the dots on the ball

close-up detail of the bargello effect on the bird cage with its different strips of patterned papers

and a close-up of the photo

and here is how you get the faux bargello effect
step 1
cut several strips of patterned papers and plain card stock. keep the strips the same width and the same length.

step 2
add some double sided tape to a piece of plain white card stock from side to side. adhere the patterned paper strips from side to side - remember to keep them flush to each other.

step 3
turn your card stock over and add another layout of double sided tape to the back. when you die-cut your bargello element it will have the double sided tape at the back and you won't have to add glue. this makes working with fine detailed elements much easier because you avoid the mess of adding an adhesive.

step 4
now die-cut your element out of your piece of card stock. the finished look is that of multiple designs and colours on a single design with little effort.

TIP - even the tiniest of scraps can be turned into a work of art to use on your cards, scrapbook layouts and even ATCs. think flowers, butterflies and borders.
I hope you like this technique and will try your hand at it. Since i am such a big hoarder of my little scraps, i have to find different ways of using them creatively.