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30 Inspiring Collage Art Ideas for Creative Adults

Discover 30 creative collage art ideas for adults! From mixed media to paper collages, these fun projects will help you unleash your inner artist.

Collage Ideas for Adults

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.

However, if you’re interested in other creative directions, like photo collage ideas, don’t miss my other projects, such as a vintage suitcase, sewing pattern box, baseball card table, or photo pillow.

Ready to be inspired? Scroll down to see over 30 types of collage art that will get those creative juices flowing and bring out your inner artist!

1
make-a-watercolor-collage
Watercolor Paintings
Learn how to make a collage with watercolors – using a canvas and Mod Podge.
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2
Magazine collage art
Magazine Pages
Learn how to make a collage with Mod Podge on canvas! This magazine collage art is easy enough for anyone to make, and it can be personalized.
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3
Tissue Paper collage art
www.salvagesisterandmister.com
Tissue Paper
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.
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4
pet portrait paper collage art
artroombritt.blogspot.com
Pet Collage Portraits
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.
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5
How to Make Custom Collage Art with Vintage Paper Ephemera
www.emilyretro.com
Vintage Ephemera
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.
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6
Mixed Media Pear on Canvas
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.
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7
bluepurpleandscarlett.com
Marbled Paper Owl Collages
The layers of watercolor pulled together to make an owl are absolutely beautiful in this design.
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8
bible collages
www.foundonbrighton.com
Bible Collage
If you're interested in Bible collaging or more faith inspired ideas, this post has a lot of different layouts.
Read More
9
DIY junk mail art
Junk Mail Art Using Recycled Mailers
Some of the fliers you might get in the mail have bold fonts and colors! They are perfect for cutting up and mixing into your art.
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10
blue decoupage fabric collage art
www.createwithclaudia.com
Scrap Fabric Collage
Save all of those scrap fabric pieces and learn how to make a fabric decoupage collage. What a great no-sew fabric craft!
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11
upcycled coloring book collage art
www.omiyageblogs.ca
Upcycled Coloring Book Art
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.
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12
landscape collage art
artroombritt.blogspot.com
Landscape Collage
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!
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13
diy geometric paper collage art
frkhansen.dk
Paper Patchwork Collage
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.
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14
american flag art on canvas
American Flag Wall Art
Learn how to create this American flag on canvas using small fabric pieces and Mod Podge.
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15
Wood letters covered with comic books
Comic Book Letters
Learn how to make these comic letters with Mod Podge! Perfect for a kids' themed superhero bedroom or man cave.
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16
Mixed Media Canvas with Chipboard Accents
Mixed Media Canvas Bird Art
Learn how to make a mixed media canvas with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge! This was a fun experiment with cute chipboard accents. So easy!
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17
tissue paper collage art
lifestyleforreallife.com
Tissue Paper Collage
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!
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18
How To Make A Patterned Paper Cactus Collage
www.kimdellow.com
Cactus Collage
Use patterned scrapbook paper to make a cactus collage. Find out how in this tutorial.
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19
mixed media wedding art collage
uniquecreationsbyanita.com
Mixed Media Wedding Canvas
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.
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20
floral collage and sketch art
www.michaels.com
Floral Collage & Sketch Art
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!
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21
ducttapeanddenim.com
World Map Art 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.
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22
Comic Wall Art
Comic Wall Art
Use comic books (or color copies!) collaged together to make this comic book canvas wall art – a great gift for guys or any comic book lover!
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23
the little mermaid button art collage
bustedbutton.com
The Little Button Mermaid
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.
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24
artsyfartsylife.com
Embossed Magazine Collage
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.
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25
mixed media art with washi tape collage background
www.karencampbellartist.com
Washi Tape Collage Background
Karen created a collage background for her mixed media art with numerous washi tape designs. The bright colors are perfect for this piece!
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26
uniquecreationsbyanita.com
Geometric Lion Wall Hanging
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.
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27
emodelyourhome.wordpress.com
Photo Mats
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.
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28
Make a wedding card collage
Wedding Cards
Learn how to make a wall collage using your wedding cards! Perfect for commemorating that special day.
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29
recycled magazine collage art
www.sumoftheirstories.com
Monochromatic Cut Outs
Cut squares from magazine pages to create this collage. Keeping with the yellow theme throughout gives it a cohesive look.
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30
Cricut Collage - Floral Deer
www.craft-e-corner.com
Cricut Floral Deer
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.
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31
Make diy dollar tree wall decor using scrapbook paper, Dimensional Magic, and a dollar store frame
Dollar Tree Supplies
Learn how to make Dollar Tree DIY wall decor using simple supplies! Easy and inexpensive.
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32
Halloween art from the thrift store
www.sadieseasongoods.com
Holiday Themed
Sadie created some Halloween collage art starting with a moody photo she found at a thrift store. You could do something like this for any holiday!
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Which of these collage ideas for adults do you think you’ll try first? Let me know in the comments below and then check out these other popular posts:

Decoupage ArtDIY Button ArtDIY Desk OrganizersDIY Lampshade IdeasMirror CraftsPainted TraysPhoto Frame Decoration IdeasVase DecoratingWine Bottle Decor

Barbara

Friday 18th of October 2024

So much to learn & do!