I have mentioned color substitution already, but really, you can get additional patchwork interest as well as color movement if you get in the habit of randomly sewing your scraps together to form bigger pieces to work with.
This is also a great way to store your colored scraps. I keep them hanging up in the studio. Sometimes I cut pieces out to use in projects, some times I slice them up to use for solid color substitutions or use them as borders to extend a piece. I sliced up a green color blanket to form borders for these a while ago, on a winter's day when i was dreaming and missing the garden..
Sometimes I use them as backgrounds. This is an easy way to increase the piecing complexity without a plan. The leftovers can be sewn back onto the blanket. It is like a recycled rainbow palette always waiting for you.
These color blankets, big or small, can be pieced on the machine or by hand and come in handy later as components in your work. . This is just another great tool to have at your disposal.
