Scrapbooking brads are types of fasteners commonly used in scrapbooking, though they can also be used in numerous other artistic or crafting activities. While they are functionally designed to help keep things together in a scrapbook, usually by attaching things to the various pages, they can also be used purely as decoration or visual embellishment. They can be made in a number of different designs and shapes, though square and round are most common, and can often be designed to relate to a particular holiday, season, activity, or theme. Scrapbooking brads are available at most craft or art supply stores, and are made by a number of different manufacturers.
Designed functionally for use as fasteners, scrapbooking brads are usually made like other types of fasteners used in business or professional applications. They consist of a head that is typically round or square in shape, and two metal prongs that extend out perpendicular to the surface of the head. These prongs are passed through a small hole in a page. Fastening is usually through a hole both in the page of the scrapbook and the item being attached, and the prongs are then flattened out to create a secure hold.
Scrapbooking brads can be used for a number of different applications, and they can be found in so many different colors, styles, and themes that different types can be used on various pages to accentuate what is on the page. Holiday-themed scrapbooking brads are available for just about every major holiday. For winter holidays, for example, these can range from blue circular brads with white snowflakes painted on them, to brads actually shaped like snowflakes, gingerbread cookies, and teddy bears. Scrapbooking brads can be used even when nothing needs to be attached, but instead to allow simple decoration with greater dimensionality than stamps or stickers.
One of the major benefits of using scrapbooking brads is that they can be easily removed and replaced with other types of fasteners if desired. Glue dots may hold pictures onto scrapbooking pages fairly well, but the glue can dry and may lead to the pictures falling out. Other types of fasteners such as scrapbooking snaps can be a bit more difficult to use and are not easily removed, often requiring the page be damaged for removal. Scrapbooking brads, however, will not usually fall apart as easily as glue will, and can be changed or replaced without damaging the scrapbook.