How to Make an Inspirational Collage

Collage making is a simple art form that appears complex. It can be used to send a message, collect things you enjoy from a place or to make a picture out of smaller pictures. Creating a collage is as easy or difficult as you want it to be. These steps will explain the basics of simple collage making and how to make an inspirational collage for display. This project will make you smile every time you see it and that is the whole point.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board, cardboard, canvas or wood
• X-acto knife
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Mod Podge or watered-down white glue
• Sponge brush
• Inspirational clippings

Instructions

1. 

   Collect photos, newspaper clippings, magazine clippings and anything else that inspires you. Inspirational images might include family photos, meaningful quotes and magazine ads with beautiful landscapes.

2. 

   Cut away any extra edges from collage items using scissors or an X-acto knife. If the part of a photo that you love is someone's face, cut away everything except the person's face.

3. Spread the items out on your poster board, canvas, cardboard or wood. Arrange them in a way you like. Play with different layers and try to equally spread out major colors. For example, if you have two items that are almost entirely red, they might look nice layered with each other, but the collage will look more balanced if you spread the red items apart.

4. 

   Glue items one at a time to the poster board using the sponge brush to apply a thin layer of glue to the back.

5. Use a ruler to gently smooth out any lumps and bumps each time you glue down a piece.

6. 

   Apply a top coat of thinned white glue or Mod Podge to the whole collage using a sponge brush.

Tips & Warnings

• Try using acrylic or watercolor paint, ribbons, buttons, glitter or any other inspiration items in your collage. The texture that these items add will give your collage an interactive, attractive quality.

• You can mat and frame your collage if you want to protect it from the elements or make it easier to hang.

Resources

• Alphabet Collage Project
• Con-tact Paper Collage
• Making a Motivational Collage