How to Create a Picture Collage for a Baby
A picture collage of your baby, which can be displayed in a picture frame or baby book, is an investment in memories. A collage can serve as a keepsake or be given as a gift to grandparents or loved ones. Make a decorative collage at home, for minimal cost, out of materials you more than likely have in your craft box. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Photos
- Poster board
- Sharp scissors
- Glue stick
- Picture frame
- Paper trimmer
- Computer
- Microsoft AutoCollage
- Photo paper
- Printer
- Accessories
Instructions
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Handmade
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1
Decide on a theme you would like to feature, such as your baby's first few weeks at home, her first birthday or holidays.
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2
Gather your photos from picture frames, photo albums or your digital library.
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3
Cut a piece of poster board to fit your frame, which can be 8x10 or larger. Match your poster board color to your theme, such as red for a Christmas collage. Spread out the pictures, which should be of various sizes (ranging from wallets to 5x7s), on the poster board so you can see each one.
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4
Arrange the pictures so your favorite ones immediately get noticed. Pictures in the center and top third of the page tend to be attention-getters. Cut pictures that are too large with a paper trimmer or overlap them.
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5
Apply glue to the back of each picture and firmly press it on the poster board in its designated position. Place the collage in the frame.
Computer Generated
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6
Open Microsoft AutoCollage. Open your live photo gallery, select the photos and select the extras tab.
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Click on "add to collage." The program will automatically arrange those photos into a collage. You can then choose different photos or change their position.
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Move the sliding tab on the right-hand side of the collage to select the number of photographs you want to include. Select the "options" button to determine the size of the document you want to create, which can be as large as 48 inches by 48 inches.
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Choose your photo sizes by ranking them. The program can auto rank them if you want, meaning it will decide on the size of each picture, or you can manually rank them by selecting the image and clicking the "control" button in the top left corner. Top-ranked pictures are denoted with a "1" and will be bigger. Second-ranked pictures are a "2" and will be smaller.
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10
Place photo paper in the printer tray and print the collage.
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Allow the page to dry. Do not cut any pictures from this paper.
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Swipe glue around the edge of the photo paper and sprinkle glitter. Or place a tiny dollop of super glue in the corners and attach ribbons, matching the color to your theme.
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13
Place your new collage into a frame.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Glue down the photos after you have developed your layout. This will allow you to rearrange your photos before you attach them.
Be sure to replace the cap on the glue and put it away if there are small children or animals in the house. Glue can be toxic if ingested.
References
- Photo Credit photos image by reynald lassire from Fotolia.com
