Microsoft Word is the most used word processing program in the world, but have you ever thought of it as a useful scrapbook tool? While many think its strength is text, it can also create great graphics and fun effects for pages. Try the following techniques, and you'll discover 10 new ways to use Microsoft Word in your albums.

1. paper piecing
   Use clip art images as templates to create paper-pieced page accents (above). On the program menu, select Insert, then Picture and Clip Art to add an image to a document. Size the image by dragging your mouse at the corner. (Do not make your image larger than a standard 8 1/2 x 11 page for compatibility with standard printers.) Print a copy, cut it apart and use the pieces as templates when tracing on colored paper.
2. twisted text
   Curve, twist, bend and loop text for titles using Word Art. Choose Insert, Picture, Word Art and select a style you like. Type your text and click OK to create the art. Use the tools on the Word Art toolbar to change its colors, bend it into shape, and then print it. Note: This technique works best with short titles or sentences. The effect does not work well on long paragraphs of journaling.
3. fill-in page titles
   Print an outline of any font for a fill-in title with a few simple steps. First, choose the landscape paper orientation (under File, Page Setup) and type a page title. Next choose Format, Font to select the font style, then color and size you wish. Under the same menu, click Outline. Print the title and fill in letters with chalk, pens or other media for a custom effect.
4. watermark images
   Use Word's picture editing tool to enlarge and wash out an image for use as a page accent. Add your image to a Word document (Insert, Picture, Clip Art), select it and, from the Picture toolbar, choose Color, Washout (in some versions you'll choose Image Control, Watermark instead). Use a single watermark image to accent a page, or repeat for a background.
5. download clip art images
   Use the Microsoft Design Gallery online (dgl.microsoft.com) to expand your clip art collection. Find specific images by typing a keyword and selecting the type of image you want. Click any image displayed to see a larger-sized preview and click the "Search by Style" link to locate other images drawn in a similar style.
   
   On a PC, the clip art should download automatically. For Macintosh users, it can be a little more difficult. Use Office 2001 or later versions for successful downloading on a Mac.
6. custom journaling blocks
   The tricky part about computer journaling can be making sure the text fits the amount of space you have on your page. Make a custom-sized journaling block to take out the guesswork. First draw a text box to fit the amount of space you have (Insert, Text Box, then click and drag to create it). Type your journaling inside the box. Increase the line spacing a little to get a less computer-generated look or to fill the box more evenly. To do this, highlight the text and choose Format, Font and click the Character Spacing tab. From the Spacing dropdown list, choose Expanded, then type in the number you wish to expand the text by.
7. wrap-around text frames
   Make text wrap around a photo or other image with this technique. Draw four text boxes (Insert, Text Box) and position one on each side of the image around a space the size of your photo. Use Format, Text Direction to rotate the text in the two "side" boxes. Type text into each box so it wraps around the photo space. You may have to use your space bar or center the text in the box to get it to wrap evenly. Use the Fill Color and Line Color tools to color the boxes and, when printed, mount your photo in your text frame. A word of warning: some patience and practice is required for success with this more-complicated technique.
8. creating border collages
   Create your own border art by scanning one or more photos or clip art images and adding them to a Word document. To import a photo or image of your own, it must first be saved on a disk or on your computer as a JPEG file.
   
   Choose Insert, Picture, From File, then locate the image and click Insert. Size and crop images using the Picture toolbar tools, then overlap them to form a long strip to use as a page border. For 12 x 12 pages, create a custom paper size (File, Page Setup, then select paper size) before assembling your collage. Print using a sheet of light cardstock trimmed to fit your printer's paper path. While most printers can handle longer 11 x 17 sheets, the width must be 8 1/2 inches or less.
9. create a calendar
   Calendar pages are handy to record milestones for any age or to document of the events in a hectic month. Create one or more month-per-page calendars by downloading Word's Calendar Wizard. Find this on the Microsoft Web site at http://search.officeupdate.microsoft.com/TemplateGallery/ct133.asp. You can also go to File, New, Other Documents, Calendar Wizard for more information. It's simple to use and will create calendar pages for just about any time in the last (or next) hundred years. See below for an example.
10. handmade stickers
    You'll never be lost for stickers you love when you create them yourself in Word. Purchase sticker paper at craft or office supply stores from companies such as Avery, Epson or Fuji. It is also easy to find and purchase sticker paper online from a variety of sites (try invent-it.com or paper-paper.com). To make the stickers, choose Tools, Envelopes and Labels, Labels tab. Click Options to select your paper's special code number and click OK, then New Document. Insert clip art to each sticker outline before printing them.

As you can see, Microsoft Word isn't just for typing anymore. Take the time to walk through the steps listed in these techniques, and you'll uncover the graphics program you didn't know you had.

-Helen Bradley is a Microsoft Word expert, self-confessed paper junkie and compulsive scrapbooker. E-mail her at helen@helenbradley.com.