My wall needed some new art and instead of buying a new print I thought I’d try my hand at making some photo collage art with materials I already had lying around. It resulted in a unique project on a budget, just the way I like it 😊 

I’m using photos I printed out from my little printer, scraps of paper I have collected over the years and Coccoina glue from Coconut & Cotton – an amazing glue that is biodegradable and non-toxic, as it’s made from potato starch and water. The almond scented glue not only smells amazing but is great for sticking down photos, card, paper, tissue, fabric and all other light materials. But the best part? It comes in a metal tin so when empty it can simply be recycled or reused for another purpose. I really don’t like bringing any more plastic into the house; I way prefer goods in metal containers as metal can be recycled forever. And as metal is strong and robust it keeps the contents safe and stops the glue drying out.  

To make the collages you need: 

-photos 

-paper 

-scissors 

-glue, I used Coccoina glue from Coconut & Cotton 

-card, I used A5 as the base of my collages 

-other bits like dried flowers optional 

Step 1 

Start by selecting some of your favourite photos. I think ones of people work best for this project but you could use your favourite pet or even buildings too. 

I have created four different photo collages and all follow similar instructions. 

Step 2 

Cut the person/pet/building out of your picture and find other bits of paper you want to use layering up your artwork. I like collecting pretty prints from magazines, wrapping paper and packaging.  

Step 3 

Decide on the layout of your collage and the colours and patterns you want the pieces of paper to have. Keep trying different options until you have a rough idea how you want the collage to look. 

Step 4 

Cut the paper into any shape or size you want. For the landscape piece I tore the paper instead as it gives a nice bit of added texture to the finished artwork.

Step 5 

Place your photos and all your cut (or torn) pieces of paper on a sheet of A5 card and glue everything down. Start with the background and work your way to the pieces you want in the foreground. 

Step 6 

When you have all the pieces of paper and photo glued down you can add finishing touches. For example, in the dancing girl collage I added lots of dried flowers, as I wanted to create the effect that she was dancing in a meadow full of blooms. You can also use a pencil or marker to add captions, add details or just a bit of extra colour. 

I love using paper to make different outfits, this rather stern looking Kiki got a pineapple dress and fun boots! 

To cut the right size outfit I put the photo on the paper I want to use, gently trace the photo, remove the image and draw a new dress on the paper. Then I cut it out and glue the dress to the photo. I stuck the photo on a cloud print piece of paper that I found in a magazine and added some pink stripes on the side for a little pop of colour. 

Photo Collage Hair Portraits

I really wanted to create a piece where we had crazy hair, so I placed a portrait shot of the little one and me on the back of a piece of paper and traced around it to get the general shape of the new hair. Flip the paper back around and snip away at your new hair cut making it fit your photo perfectly. I also cut a few hair bows out of paper as what is a great hair do without a few bows. 

I love my new wall art! They are a great new edition to the shelves in my living room. My favourite is the piece with the pineapple dress, which one do you like best? 

This fun photo collage art will make great cards too, as who doesn’t like receiving a handmade card through the mail? 

Check out our other blogs like.. How to DIY your own decking 

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