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Collectible Collage

Crafts For Kids - Clever Collages

Making a collage is fun for any child, and it can be a great learning tool as well. By pairing similar colors, shapes and subject matter, children learn to identify the basic elements of design including balance, color and composition.

Age: 3+ with varying levels of help and supervision
Time: 1-2 hours or more

Materials Needed
• Magazines
• Photographs
• Any Kind of decorative paper (like wrapping paper, scrapbook paper or construction paper)
• Scissors
• Sturdy cardstock
• Decoupage glue
• Sponge paint brush
• Shallow dish for glue (like pie tin)
• Damp sponge
• Optional: embellishments like buttons, beads, ribbon, stickers, etc.
• Hole Punch
• Ribbon (for hanging)

Preparation
1. To keep messes to a minimum cover your work area with a newspaper, drop cloth or old sheet.
2. Collect materials
3. Cover clothing with a smock or old shirt.
4. Have damp paper towels in pie tins in the center of the work space for quick clean up

Process:

1. Distribute magazines, photos and decorative papers to each child and instruct them to select pictures. Have them cut the pictures out. You can offer scissors that make decorative cuts to children who are skilled with cutting utensils. Once each child has cut out a stack of pieces that they wish to include in their project have them lay out their pieces and try making different designs with them.

2. Give each child a piece of cardstock. Thicker cardstock is best for this project as it will not warp and buckle under the weight of the decoupage and embellishments. Special collage weight cardstock is available from an art supply store that is already sticky. This cardstock is good to use with young children or with children who have motor difficulties.

3. Pour ModPodge® (decoupage glue) into the pie tin and hand out foam brushes. Show the children how to apply glue to the back of their display pieces, and then to the front of the piece after it is placed on the cardstock. Begin building the collages with just paper pieces and not with embellishments.

4. After the children have applied all of their paper pieces to the cardstock allow the collage to dry thoroughly. Then after it is dry add a thin topcoat of decoupage glue to the entire page and let it dry again. Repeat this process one more time.

5. Now it is time for embellishments. After the project has dried completely (about an hour) attach embellishments with decoupage glue. You may need additional glue for heavier items.

6. After the glue has completely dried, punch a hole at the top of the project and add a loop of ribbon for hanging.

Variations
• Hand each child cardstock cut into the shape of their first initial and have them find pictures beginning with that letter.
• Use a collage to teach colors. Make one collage for each new color.
• Have older children make collages to support History or English topics.
• Make a jigsaw puzzle out of the collage by cutting into pieces with a craft knife.
Make it a Learning Experience
• Discover where the idea of making a collage originated. Find out what artists made collages. Discover the similarities and differences are between a mosaic and a collage.
• Look at the differences between white glue and decoupage. Are they both waterproof? What makes decoupage work so well as a sealant?
• Honor a major event in a child's life with a colorful collage.

Clean Up
1. Fold up newspaper or cloth.
2. Use towels to clean sticky fingers.
3. Use damp sponge to clean up any glue spills.
4. Put collages in a safe place to dry.

 

About the Author

Article author Aja Klenna is the design consultant and senior staff writer for Metal-Wall-Art.com. Visit the store for a distinctive wire wall art  and abstract metal sculptures. 

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