Don't let your memories in the form of photographs gather dust on shelves in albums. Today it has become very fashionable to decorate your home with stylish collages. This is a French word that means "pasting". Even the famous artist Picasso used labels and newspaper clippings in his creations to convey realism and expressiveness. We will tell you how to make a photo collage with your own hands using several examples.
This does not require special skills or mastery of handmade art. From the definition it is clear that the fundamental principle of operation is gluing objects to a surface. These could be photographs, pictures, beads, shells - anything.
Rectangular decorations
One of the simplest solutions is a product of a simple shape on one base, only from photographs. It is easy and quick to make, and looks stylish, interesting and neat.
Necessary materials:
- 48 photos (less is possible, the main thing is that the number is a multiple of 4), try to choose bright, juicy photos;
- backing 40*60 made of polyurethane sheet, plywood or plastic;
- hangers for attaching to the wall. They can be perfectly replaced with tape or Velcro;
- foam brushes;
- glue (PVA is possible);
- double sided tape.
First, form a composition: select photos, their size and arrange them in the desired order on the background.
Please note that all photographs must be in even rows, and of the same size and quality. A little trick - mark the lines of the rows with chalk or a pencil, but so that they can be easily erased later.
Then carefully stick the photos onto double-sided tape. Finally, cover the collage with a layer of glue to make it truly whole and protected from dust.
Related article: Knitting a shirt front
Original mounts
Try hanging photos on regular clothespins, and your composition will already become quite interesting. Get creative and play with textures - place photos on wooden boards, in old picture frames, use natural materials.
Such collages are easy to create, but they look stylish and successfully complement the interior of the room.
"I love you…"
In the same way, you can make a selection of photographs of a couple in love. To make your collage look romantic, try making it in the shape of a heart. Cut out the desired shape and place the selected photos. Try to avoid empty spaces and excessive overlap. The finished product can be laminated or placed under glass.
It will be interesting if you add some decoration. For example, lighting around the perimeter.
What is collage?
A collage is a composition of several photographs against a common background. Today, electronic collages are the most widely used. They are created using ready-made templates, where the background and location of the pictures are pre-selected - you just need to insert the frames into frames, or they are made independently in graphic editors.
To create electronic collages use:
- Online services.
- Programs installed on the PC.
- Mobile applications on smartphones and tablets.
Good old A1
This option is just as simple, but more affordable and detailed. This collage would look very good as a birthday gift for a friend. There is no single scheme. You can paste the best pictures of the birthday girl, or you can stick photos of you together. Write a lot of colorful congratulations or funny stories from life with her loved ones. It's up to you to decide whether to decorate the poster using paints or cuttings from newspapers and magazines, decorate it with sparkles and rhinestones or buttons with thread.
Collage gives a huge scope for imagination. The main thing is that it is unique, filled with warm feelings and memories. The only thing that remains common to all collages of this type is that all ideas are placed on a Whatman paper base.
School assignment
The task of creating family collages has become very popular in educational institutions. And for good reason – this is a very interesting and exciting activity that develops a child’s imagination. And most importantly, this is a wonderful opportunity for children and their parents to have fun and interesting time. We offer you a couple of options for the “My Family” collage for school.
The simplest one is to make an applique from photographs and clippings on whatman paper. For example, cut out the faces of family members and glue them onto the bodies of cartoons, athletes, or other famous characters. Try to make it look funny and make you smile.
Here's a more complicated option.
The basis is a wooden board, corrugated cardboard, colored paper of different textures and photographs.
Let the title of the collage “My Family” flaunt in the cardboard header. Under it, glue a sun made of colored paper, on the rays of which the names of family members are written.
Related article: Knitting a cardigan with a jacquard pattern with knitting needles
In the center of the poster, place descriptions of mother, father and child. First, cut out the required number of rectangles from colored cardboard and circles from white. Stick portraits on the circles, and attach captions next to them about the merits of each.
On the right and left of the collage, let there be groups of photographs with captions on cardboard “what, where, when, why, etc.” Don't forget to decorate the products. Different flowers, twigs, birds, etc. will look good. The main thing is not to forget that everything should be done in a single composition.
Photo collage in the form of puzzles
By implementing this original idea, you will get an unusual collage on the wall that will decorate your room. To make it, prepare all the necessary materials: whatman paper, sheets of printer paper, cardboard (corrugated), glue, tape (double-sided).
Draw a sheet of paper into several squares, give each square a puzzle shape, and cut it out carefully. This will be a template which will then need to be transferred onto corrugated cardboard and will need to be a different colour.
All puzzles are fastened together on a large sheet of whatman paper. On the reverse side, you can stick sheets of thick cardboard to strengthen the entire structure and give it a finished look. On the reverse side you can stick another sheet of Whatman paper and make puzzles again, then the design will be double-sided.
You can change the pictures for the puzzles by distance. This idea is especially suitable for small children, as they grow quickly. Take photographs of young children regularly and you will be able to make a collage showing their growth and development.
Matchboxes
To make an original wedding anniversary gift, you don’t need to go shopping looking for a ready-made solution. You just need a little patience, time and desire to please the married couple.
To make a wonderful wedding collage you will need:
- photographs of husband and wife;
- cardboard;
- glue;
- scissors;
- dye;
- material for decoration;
- matchboxes.
Remove all matches from your boxes. Lay out the empty cells in a rectangle. Select photos and arrange them as you wish. Glue matchboxes onto paper and paint. While you wait for the base to dry, cut out the pictures to fit the box (you can take non-standard boxes or combine several into one by removing the walls).
Related article: Crafts from cold porcelain for beginners with MK, photos and videos
Then we arrange the photos into cells. Empty ones can be covered with decorative paper and then used as a place to decorate the product. Finally, we select flowers, ribbons, beads, inscriptions, etc. to beautifully decorate the collage, harmoniously securing them with glue. An original wedding anniversary gift is ready!
The photos in the album won’t surprise anyone now. Decorate your home rooms, office with pictures, or make interesting gifts that will be remembered for a lifetime. Below you can see ideas for your collages.
