How to make paper collage cards
October 23, 2023 2023-10-30 14:09How to make paper collage cards
![How to make paper collage cards](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Brown-Minimal-Polaroid-Multiple-Photo-Collage-Free-Instagram-Post-1-e1698112973690.jpg)
How to make paper collage cards
Paper collage cards are fun and easy to make, it doesn’t take a lot of time and you could even recycle old paintings or drawings in the process.
What you will need:
- Printed papers (see bellow)
- Blank cards, or Bristol paper
- Gel medium or mod podge or white glue
- A brush
- Acrylic paint, inks, markers… (optional)
- A pencil
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
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Start by gathering paper for your collage
You can make the paper using a variety of techniques:
- You can make colored paper using a gel printing plate
- You can paint directly on paper
- You can stamp on paper
- You can use stencils to add textures
- You can make textured paper using various materials like bubble paper
You can also use already made paper:
- Origami paper
- Tissue paper
- pages from magazines
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2020s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2038s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2046s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2049s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2050s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2053s.jpg)
Once you gathered your papers, it saves time to cut them into strips so you can work directly and form letters by ripping the pre-cut strips.
![Pre-cutting papers into strips](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2055s.jpg)
![Strips of paper ready to be used for collage](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2064s.jpg)
You can paint a background on the cards if you want to
This is optional, but you could decide to paint a background, either with fluid acrylics or with full bodied acrylic paint.
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2095s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2092s.jpg)
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
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Blick Water-Soluble Block Printing Inks
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Once your background had time to dry (you could also use a hairdryer) , time for the fun part to start!
Paper collage
I recommend you place the elements of your collage before starting to fix them with medium or glue so you can check the composition and make sure everything will fit.
![checking the composition before fixing the collage](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2078s.jpg)
You can use tweezers to move the little strips of paper more easily.
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2077s.jpg)
If you want to add a shape to fill, here I wanted to had a heart shape, draw it before with pencil.
![drawing a heart shape to fill with collage](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2079s.jpg)
![Then I fill the shape with overlapping strips of papers, fixing each one with gel medium](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2089s.jpg)
I used gloss medium as a fixative, but before it makes the surface appear glossier, I spread it on the whole surface of the card for consistency.
![using gloss medium to fix the paper strips on the collage card](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2075s-700x1050.jpg)
Then you can leave your card to dry. If it becomes a bit warped, you can either iron it at a low temperature or use a paper press.
![3 love you collage cards](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2105s.jpg)
Here is a gallery of some of the cards I made:
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2100s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2070s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2069s-edited.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2101s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2068s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2067s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2097s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2071s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2116s.jpg)
![](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2117s.jpg)