collage admission

These projects are for all skill levels.




Collage has many interpretations, but for the most part, it consists of an artistic image, created by pasting objects over a surface with unifying colors or themes. This could include papers, photographs, embellishments, etc. Scrapbookers are already using these skills. When scrapbooking with collage, you can either create an entire page in collage, or create small collages as accents on your page. In this article, we will look at collage as an element of the page, rather than an entire layout.



A simple way to begin collage is with a tag. As a scrapbooker, you are already using tags in your designs. Simply gather related items and play with the arrangement on your tag. The related items could be a theme: nature, baby, love, etc., or they could be items of the same color…all blue items, for example. For the layout below, I chose several baby-related items to create my collage: a newspaper announcement, a safety pin, identification bracelet, and a flower. The twill tape tied on the tag echoes the baby’s soft cotton clothing, and the pink and white colors tie the elements together.









Almost any page accent can be used as, or incorporated into a collage. For example, monograms are very popular in scrapbooking right now. Take a stencil and create a collage identifying the subject of your page. In this case, the letter “a” stands for “aunt.” With collage, you can incorporate symbolism into your design. Metal letters spell out the subject, while three hearts symbolize my son’s aunts in the pictures. In addition to designing your own, look for pre-made collage products. Memories Complete products, used on this page, have many collage-themed stickers with the work already finished for you.









You can also arrange part of your layout in a collage style. Create a unified design with the addition of a few collage style papers and embellishments. Used in this layout, Provocraft’s Collage Pads contain coordinating sheets of textured papers. The colors green and blue, with a few spring themed embellishments, create a cohesive picture collage.









Rubber stamp art is a popular collage element. You can either create your own collage using related stamps, or use stamps that already contain a collage design. For this layout, embellishments with a “friendship” theme coordinate with some symbolic rubber stamps. The friends in the picture met through their son’s mutual love of trains, hence the railroad track stamp. In addition, they communicate by mail, so the postage stamp design was incorporated into the collage. Look for stamps conveying your themes or hidden messages. For example, a clock is often used to represent the passage of time, and flowers can represent something feminine.









For this spring layout, a collage style rubber stamp was used. You can find collage stamps for many layouts, including travel, autumn, love, heritage, and more. To find these products, check with your local retailer. You can color collage rubber stamps with markers, colored pencils, watercolors, chalks, and more.









Try creating your page title in a collage style. Stampin’ Up! makes a fun set of collage alphabet stamps and numbers. Combine the stamps with various tags, brads, and eyelets for a fun, masculine title. The approach could work with any style alphabet stamp when combined with other embellishments.









The next time you go scrapbook shopping, look for elements that can be used in your own collage. Find bits of lace and buttons at the fabric store, eyelets, fibers and tags at your scrapbook store, and stamps of all kinds from the stamp store! Check our Premiere store listing for coupons to a store near you. Don’t be afraid to experiment, move the items around on the page until you find a pleasing design. Use your collage for layouts, album covers, home décor and more. You will be proud to say “I created a collage!”



Look for the Zoo page in the Karen Foster Design Manufacturer’s Challenge for another example of creating an entire page in collage style.