Things You'll Need:
- Favorite photos
- Envelopes
- Pen
- Picture frames and/or shadow boxes
- Larger work area such as an unused table
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Large cardboard box
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Step 1
Put all your photographs together. When learning how to do picture collages, you need to first separate all of the photos that you plan on using. Place them together by event such as weddings, births, vacations or by composition such as, a child through the years, couple time, nature shots and place them into envelopes. Label each one accordingly so that they are easier to find when you need specific ones.
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Step 2
Buy frames that go with the decor that is already in your home. Shadow boxes are also a great idea, especially if you have other mementos that you would like included in your custom artwork to display. You can get a few different shapes and sizes for interest, based on how many pictures you have for a particular project. It's easy to get overwhelmed when first learning how to do picture collages, so only do one or two at a time. If you take on too many, you may feel rushed and end up unsatisfied with the results.
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Step 3
Gather all of your supplies in one place. You will need a larger work area to spread everything out on, as well as a pair of scissors and clear tape. An unused table works best, so you can leave your photographs, frames and other supplies out. This will allow you to work on your projects whenever you have time. If this is not possible, use a large cardboard box to store everything in order to keep it all in one place. Otherwise, you'll spend more time looking for the things that you need than on creating your personal artwork.
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Step 4
Start cutting. Once you have chosen your first project to try learning how to do picture collages, it's time to dive in. There are software programs available where you can scan your photos into the computer and crop them digitally but you will still have to do some cutting in order to create the finished artwork. Take all of your photographs out of one envelope. Remove the backing from your frame or shadowbox and lay the pictures down on it in different ways to see how they look and where to cut them. Experiment with the idea of different shapes. At first, cut a little larger than you think you will need, as you can always trim later and overlapping the images are the whole point of this project.
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Step 5
Tape it down. Once you get a collage just the way you want it, it is time to secure the images before placing it back in the frame. Lifting up one photo at a time, place a small amount of rolled clear tape on the back and press it firmly down. Now that you have mastered how to do picture collages, it's time to hang it up and admire your own personal custom artwork for your home!
