Howdy! It’s Scrap Strar Trista! I am here today to share with you a trick for interlacing (also called threading or weaving) digital elements.

Please note that this tutorial is based on the use of Photoshop 7. In most cases this will translate to other versions easy enough, but not in all instances.

Here we go!!!

Let’s start with a blank, transparent canvas.
Put an element (in this case a frame) on the page first.
Put another element (in this case a string) on a separate layer. Be sure it is placed above the first element on the layers palette.

***Note: The elements used in this tutorial are from the Autumn on the Lake Collection by Trixie Scraps.***
Now is a good time to add shadows to each element. Be sure and move the shadows to separate layers. (I used a really dark shadow here so that it would be easy to see.)
Hold the ctrl key and click on the frame layer in the layer palette. This step will ensure that you only erase specific parts of the element that you are interlacing. Marching ants will appear around the frame.
Select the eraser tool and adjust the size to accomodate the element you are working with. Now click on the string layer. Erase some of the pieces of the string that overlap the frame which will allow the frame to show through as if the string is interlaced with the frame.

Now click on the shadow layer for the string and repeat the erasing process.
You are all done! One final tip… If you plan on moving your newly interlaced goodies around on the page you might want to link them together. This can easily be done by clicking on one of the interlaced elements and then clicking on the little chain for each of the interlaced layers to lock them together. In this example the frame, the frame shadow, the string, and the string shadow would all need to be linked.

Here is my finished page using Trixie Scraps’ Autumn on the Lake Collection.

Here are a few more pages using the interlacing technique.

This page was created with the Sunday Afternoon collab from Trixie Scraps and Sarah Bennett.

This page was created using Take Me Away collab from Trixie Scraps and Connie Prince.

Bree created this page using Lovey Days Mini Kit by Trixie Scraps.

Finally, another page from Bree using Carly by Trixie Scraps.

If you tinker around with the tutorial we would love to see what you have created. Come back here and link us up so we can leave you some gallery love!

Happy Scrapping!