Discover 30 creative collage art ideas for adults! From mixed media to paper collages, these fun projects will help you unleash your inner artist.
Did you ever make a vision board as a teen or create paper collages as a child? Collage art isn’t just for those early years—it’s a fun and versatile form of expression that you can explore at any age.
Whether you’re interested in making art journals, mixed media collages, or even digital collage art, there are so many creative collage ideas that can help you tap into your inner artist.
But what exactly is collage art?
In simple terms, collage is about bringing together an assortment of items – whether it’s magazine clippings, old postcards, or even textiles – and arranging them on a flat surface to create a unique piece of art.
With a pair of scissors, decoupage medium, and some imagination, you can explore many types of collage, from traditional paper collages to photo collages and beyond.
What materials are great for creating collages?
Most people first think of newspaper or magazine cutouts, but collage art goes way beyond just paper. Here are a variety of materials you might want to try in your creative journey:
Textiles: Scraps of fabric, lace trim, or even crochet doilies can add texture and personality.
Ephemera: Collectibles like old book pages or postcards make for charming vintage details.
Paints and Markers: Adding painted elements or drawn features can turn a simple collage into a mixed media masterpiece.
Natural Elements: Feathers, pressed leaves, or dried flowers add a touch of the outdoors.
Found Objects: Think buttons, beads, bits of string, broken jewelry – anything that can be repurposed to make your pieces of art truly unique.
For this collection of projects, I’ve focused on non-photo collages you can hang as wall art.
Don't throw away that tissue paper from your gifts! Instead, you can use it to create a masterpiece like this one. A canvas, tissue, and Mod Podge are all you need.
Britt had her adult art class make paper collages of their current or former pets. There are numerous examples on her site, but this little piggy was my favorite! You could do this with pets OR people.
Create your own retro art collages using ephemera (your own, or found at antique or thrift stores). These were made using a vintage wrapping paper base.
First you will layer a canvas with fabric scraps of various textures using Mod Podge. Then you can paint your art over the collage of fabric! It's pretty easy.
Adult coloring books are still quite popular—I love them! You can use those drawing to create something beautiful like this collage shown above, or this unique name plaque I made.
This is another of Britt's projects she had her adult class try. They were to create a paper collage landscape similar to the ones that artist Shelli Walters makes. Beautiful!
For those of you who struggle with the (sometimes) chaotic look of collage art, this collage is for you! Use paper to create a patchwork design that kind of reminds me of the Q*bert game from the 80's.
Inspired by a wall in an advertisement, Marybeth made a couple of collages using tissue paper. Even if you aren't artistic, you can make this fun art piece!
If you haven't visited Anita's website before, you have to check it out. She makes some of the most beautiful pieces using found objects and recycled materials. This one was made using items from her daughter's wedding.
I love the look of this combination sketch and faux floral collage. If you don't feel comfortable sketching, you could create the face using paper collage!
"What a crazy mixed up world we live in."—is the title I would give this fun map craft! If you make a smaller version, you could use map pieces of places you've visited.
Yes, button art is actually a form of collage! This is a pretty detailed example, but she goes over how to create button art step-by-step. You can do a version of this with any image.
Find out 3 different ways to add embossing to a magazine collage. This example is for a junk journal, but you could do it for a stand alone art piece as well.
Anita used various pieces of faux leather to create this beautiful geometric lion art piece. The use of different colors of leather looks great with the small pieces in the lion's head.
If you are a collector of memorabilia like concert tickets, restaurant placements, matches, etc. this is a great collage idea for you! Elisa made some DIY photo mat collages with her memorabilia.
If you find image you would like to use for a collage, but don't want to cut them out yourself, grab your Cricut! This is also a good way to plan your art ahead of time. You can do it right in Cricut Design Space.
Barbara
Friday 18th of October 2024
So much to learn & do!