‘Ello!
First of all, I just want to start this post by thanking all the healthcare workers and employees of essential businesses for being so selfless and absolutely incredible during this time. You are not going unnoticed, and let me say this loud and clear: you are SO appreciated and loved.
Alright, let’s get in to it:
MAGAZINE COLLAGES
That phrase right there sends me BACK folks. After the waves of nostalgia have settled, get ready to bring back one of the most slept on activities in the craft universe. This is a perfect way to pass the time during quarantine and is an impeccable creative outlet.
Materials needed:
- Modge Podge
- Scissors
- A sturdy piece of cardboard, cardstock, posterboard, etc.
- Magazines/Newspapers
Break it down now:
- To begin, start by gathering all necessary materials. The nice thing about this craft is that the materials are typical household items, so you won’t need to break quarantine or break the bank.
- Next, dive right in to your magazines and newspapers and start cutting out things that catch your eye
- TIP: Always check the other side of the page of whatever you are about to cut out to make sure there is nothing valuable you might want to use there. If there is something you like on the back, you can decide which thing you like more and cut that out, or find a way to strategically cut and use both things you like!
- Find pictures and symbols that catch your eye. Look for phrases you can cut out as well as words you can use on their own or words to splice together to make a new phrase/sentence.
- Once you have your stack of pictures, phrases, words, and symbols, grab your base for the collage.
- TIP: You can use any sturdy material as your base for the collage. If you dont have a canvas or poster or sturdy piece of paper laying around, use whatever you have laying around the house you think might make a good backbone for your masterpiece.
- Lay out all your materials and start laying pieces down without any glue to get a sense of where you might want things to go and how you might want your piece to look.
- TIP: You can create a theme for your collage to make the entire collage a cohesive unit, or completely randomize it and make it a mix of all kinds of different things! You can also create a color scheme to follow to make things look a bit more put together.
- Once you have an idea of how you want your collage to look, start gluing down your pieces. If you don’t have modge podge, you can use elmer’s glue or other tacky glue. ***Be careful and make sure to be gentle with your pieces. The magazine/newspaper clippings are fragile and can rip or fall apart if you aren’t careful with them!*** Try not to rub or put too much pressure on the pieces as they dry so they don’t move out of place or tear.
- TIP: Make sure you layer the pieces from biggest to smallest. Start by gluing down your background images and bigger pieces, then continue by gluing on smaller and smaller pieces so your smallest pieces are on the top and don’t get lost behind bigger ones.
- Once you have finished gluing on all your pieces, you are done! My collage started to bend and roll up a bit, so once it dried I put the entire thing under some textbooks (you can use any heavy object that won’t ruin your masterpiece) overnight and the next morning it was dry, flattened out, and magnificent!
And here it is, the gestalt!
I hope you enjoyed this fun trip down memory lane and have fun making a magazine collage! And of course, stay safe, stay inside, and wash your hands!
– Hannah Hansen
Hannah Hansen 