Ideas for Paper Collage Art: Spark Your Students' Imaginations

To Stick or Glue

Collage comes from the word “coller,” which means to stick or glue. The majority of collages illustrate a particular theme. Collages normally entail pasting paper to paper, but any type of material may be used to create a collage such as paper, photos, fabric, magazines, seeds or leaves, depending on the artist’s personal preference and the design they intend to create. Collages have been created for centuries, and even famous artists like Matisse, Braque and Picasso used this technique to created beautiful artwork.

Apple Art

Bring apples into your classroom this fall by creating an apple picture using the collage technique.

Materials:

• White and black cardstock paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Scissors

How to Make:

Students will use markers to color a piece of white paper. Make sure to place a variety of colors close to one another. The teacher will provide students with a large apple template. Trace the apple on a piece of white cardstock paper and cut it out. Using scissors, cut pieces of the colored paper. Students may cut their paper however they choose, small or large squares, circles, etc. Glue the paper onto the apple. Paste the apple on the piece of black heavy paper and stick pieces of the colored paper around the edge to create a border. These make a beautiful piece of fall artwork to decorate the classroom.

Leaf Bookmark

Make reading fun with a leaf collage bookmark children will love creating.

Materials:

• Magazines
• Glue
• Heavy paper
• Contact paper
• Leaf template
• Scissors
• Construction paper (yellow or any color)

How to Make:

Provide students with several old magazines. Children will tear a variety of fall colors from the magazines. Instruct students to tear different sizes making sure the pieces are not too large. Glue the pieces to a piece of heavy paper. Make sure to overlap magazine pieces. Using a leaf template, cut three or four small leaf shapes from the paper once it is dry. Arrange and paste the leaves on an 8" x 2" strip of construction paper. Cover with contact paper and trim the excess contact paper. These beautiful fall bookmarks will encourage students to read.

Glowing Jack-O-Lantern

Introduce children to impasto painting with a glow in the dark jack-o-lantern collage. Impasto involves painting with a thick textured material. Art teachers use a variety of materials including toilet paper mixed with glue to achieve a 3-D piece of artwork. Children will use a toilet paper and glue mixture to make the jack-o-lantern’s eyes, nose and mouth.

Materials:

• Pumpkin cut from black heavy paper
• Magazines
• Toilet paper
• Glue
• Glow in the dark paint
• Paintbrush

What to Do:

Children will tear pieces of the magazine (preferably different shades of orange for the pumpkin and green for the stem) and glue them to a pumpkin cut from heavy black paper. Mix glue and a small amount of water. Instruct students to tear pieces of toilet paper and place it in the glue mixture. Instruct students to dip their fingers in the mixture to create eyes, nose and a mouth for the jack-o-lantern. Let them dry overnight. The next day, students will use a paintbrush to place glow in the dark paint on the eyes, nose and mouth. Tip: Children may also outline the entire pumpkin with the paint. These make terrific Halloween decorations.

Freeform Collage

Spark creativity by allowing children to use different shapes and colors of paper or magazine clippings to create their own collage theme. Tell students they will be given paper, magazines, tissue paper, etc., and they must decide what theme to use for their collage. Give and show examples of different collage themes.

Materials:

• Paper (magazines, tissue paper, construction paper etc.)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Heavy paper

How to make:

Children may use any or all of the materials listed above to create their own collage. My son cut different shapes from magazines and glued them to paper to create a collage. Children can also use shapes pre-cut from construction paper.

3-D Apples

Students will use impasto painting to create their own three-dimensional collages, using designs and colors they choose. Encourage students to come up with their own theme and style. I used cardboard but heavy paper or canvas is ideal.

Materials:

• Paint
• Toilet paper
• Glue
• Cardboard, heavy paper or canvas
• Paintbrush

How to Create:

Mix water, glue and pieces of toilet paper. Using their fingers, children will form apples, corn, hearts, whatever theme they choose and let the painting dry overnight. When the picture is dry, students will use the colors they desire to paint their designs. Using impasto painting to form a collage sparks creativity and expands each student’s art skills.

In addition to these ideas for paper collage art there are many different methods, using a variety of materials to create stunning collages. Whichever technique you choose children are sure to discover the little Picasso inside them waiting for an opportunity to emerge.

References

• Ideas and Photos by Lisa King all rights reserved.