Mixing Old & New Kits: Tips to Refresh Your Digital Stash

Confession time: I have kits on my hard drive that I LOVED when I bought them… and then never used. Some are a few years old, some are from last month. And when I go digging through my stash, I’m often surprised by how much good stuff I already have.

But here’s the thing… sometimes those older kits just need a little fresh perspective to come to life again.

So today, I want to share a few tips and tricks to help you mix your older digital stash with newer kits, so you can spark inspiration, make the most of what you have, and fall in love with your supplies all over again.

1. Start with a Color Bridge

Color is the easiest way to tie things together. When you want to mix an older kit with a newer one, look for:

• A shared neutral (like kraft, cream, or charcoal)
• A pop color that shows up in both (even if one is muted and the other is bold)
• Similar tones (soft pastels, deep jewel tones, etc.)

💡 My go-to trick: Pull a paper or journal card from each kit and see if they play nicely in a small cluster. If it works there, it’ll work on a page.

2. Pick a Base Kit, Then Accent

Instead of trying to use two full kits equally (which can feel overwhelming), pick one as your base kit… your main paper choices, journaling cards, and go-to elements. Then use the second kit as an accent for:

• Adding just the right word strip
• Swapping out a flair or sticker
• Layering in textures or paints

Treat the accent kit like a little spice… it doesn’t need to do the heavy lifting to make the page sing.

3. Focus on Theme or Mood, Not Collection Name

Don’t get hung up on whether kits are from the same season or labeled for the same topic.

You might be surprised how well a “spring” kit and a “birthday” kit go together if they both feel playful and bright. Or how a school kit and a love-themed kit both have paper clips, hearts, and text-based elements that blend beautifully.

Think mood, not marketing.

4. Repurpose Kit Elements in Unexpected Ways

Some older kits might feel dated because the theme is too specific. But elements can almost always be reinterpreted:

• Use a “school” label to document your to-do list hustle
• Turn a themed “holiday” paper into a bold background for a selfie
• Crop a journaling card to use just the pattern or icon

If the colors still spark something in you, don’t be afraid to chop, recolor, or layer!

5. Tag and Label Your Kits Creatively

This one’s not glamorous—but it’s a game-changer.

If you’re not already tagging your stash or using a file system that lets you search by color, theme, or designer, it’s worth a rainy afternoon.

Even just renaming a few folders with quick tags like “pink florals” or “great neutrals” will help you rediscover forgotten treasures when working on a new page.

6. Try a Stash-Based Challenge

Next time you sit down to scrap, give yourself this little challenge:
Use something from a kit you haven’t opened in a year.

Even if it’s just one button or label, bringing old supplies into new work helps you feel more connected to your creative past—and reminds you just how much you’ve grown in style, skills, and storytelling.

It’s Not Hoarding If You Use It!

Scrapbooking is one of those hobbies where it’s VERY EASY to collect more than we use (guilty!). But when you learn to blend what you already have with what you’re excited about now, your stash becomes a creative playground… not a guilt trip.

So open up that dusty downloads folder, pull out your newest kit, and see what kind of magic you can make by mixing the two.

Do you have a favorite “forgotten” kit you’ve rediscovered lately? I’d love to hear what you’re using again in the comments!