Making Collages

Making collages is a craft that all ages can enjoy. Face it, it's fun to cut and paste! And with computers you can do all of your cutting and pasting online to create art collages, if you want! Collage is also called mixed media, altered art, art collage, and probably 20 other names.

Kids can make collages using construction paper and pictures cut from magazines to tell a story. All sorts of materials are used to make art collages: as the base, just about anything can be used such as the vintage book page shown here.

Other good materials are covers of books and cardboard if you're planning for a more natural look. Then literally anything can be added to create the collage: clip art, photos, inside of decorative envelopes, ribbons, buttons, lace, trinkets to name a few.

Photo of art collage of vintage dictionary page printed with a vintage chicken, clip art of power lines and stamped with brown flowers.

Photo Credit: Peggy Hazelwood

Making collages is so much fun. You can make a free collage with items around the house. Of course you can go a little crazy and buy some nice scrap book paper, stamps, ink pads, and on and on. This is an addictive craft that is so fun! I use some of my art collages for greeting cards and as wall hangings.

You could also make them into invitations or as magnets for the fridge, locker, or filing cabinet to dress up your metal. The list of uses is endless!

1. Gather your mixed media supplies. Examples of good items to use include (but certainly not restricted to) the following: book covers, book pages, ribbon, photos, illustrations from ads or books, old keys, found objects like bottle caps and old game pieces, lace, and so much more.
2. You'll also need some basic craft tools: scissors, glue, ink pads, stamps, paint, staples, etc. It really just depends on what you plan to do.
3. Choose the background. This can be as simple as using a cereal box, a book cover, a Bingo card, a canvas, etc.
4. Choose items to add to the collage, like images, plain paper, found objects, buttons, keys, etc.
5. Lay out the collage. Place items the way you want them before gluing or affixing them. If you want, photograph them then you can refer to the photo when you begin laying it out and gluing them for real.

Clothespin Crafts
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Silverware Crafts
If you've seen wind chimes made from vintage silverware, you have an idea of what silverware crafts are.

Book Crafts
Books may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of crafting, but book crafts can be fun and when you're done,

Costume Jewelry Crafts
Costume jewelry crafts are simply crafts made using costume jewelry. This can include using a piece, such as clip on earrings,

Button Crafts
Crafting with buttons is one of the most fun ways to show off pretty buttons whether they're vintage buttons or new ones.

Lace Crafts
Lace crafts can be delicate and beautiful. Embellishing items with lace, using lace as a stencil, or creating lace by knitting or crocheting are all fun lace...

Rope Crafts
Crafting with rope can be a fun hobby that results in some useful objects with textures you just don't get with another medium.

Matchbox Crafts
Matchbox crafts are a way to craft in miniature, especially if you choose to use the small matchboxes that measure about 2 inches by 1-3/8 inches.

Bottle Caps Crafts--Making Art With Bottle Caps
Bottle caps crafts range from simple bottle cap necklaces or magnets to this grand lady shown herewith bottle cap arms and legs.

Key Crafts
If you're like me, you have a junk drawer (or two or three) with loose keys. You don't remember what they went to.

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Using simple drawing instructions, nearly everyone can learn to draw.

This author, Peggy Hazelwood, participates in Amazon, eBay, All Posters, and other affiliate advertising programs. When you click an advertising link on this page and make a purchase, I receive a small percent of the sale. Thank you for reading this far!