Who It Suits

Collage is the art of arranging and sticking pieces of paper, photographs, fabric, and other found materials (often called ephemera) onto a supporting surface to make an image or composition. A beginner’s first sessions look less like drawing and more like arranging: cutting or tearing shapes, moving them around on a base, deciding what stays, and gluing the arrangement down.

It suits people who enjoy collecting images, combining colours and textures, and making creative choices without needing strong drawing skills. The honest appeal is that it is cheap to start, portable, and can produce a finished piece from ordinary scraps within a single session. The honest constraints are that the real skill is composition, not technique: first pieces often look busy or cluttered, and learning to edit (to remove pieces) matters as much as adding them.

Getting Started

Two entry paths cover most of the hobby:

  • Paper collage — cutting or tearing shapes from magazines, maps, packaging, coloured paper, and other printed matter, then arranging and gluing them. This is the most forgiving start and the natural route for abstract colour studies, landscapes, and portraits built from texture.
  • Photomontage — a collage built from photographs, printed or digital. It leans on image selection and cropping rather than cutting, and is a good entry if you already take or collect photos.

A few terms do most of the work:

  • Ephemera — printed matter that was meant to be short-lived: old tickets, postcards, letters, maps, leaflets, and packaging. It is the raw material of much collage.
  • Papier collé — French for “pasted paper”; a specific form of collage that is closer to drawing, using flat paper shapes.
  • Décollage — French for “to unstick”; the reverse process of tearing away or removing layers to reveal what is underneath.
  • Assemblage — a three-dimensional cousin of collage, made by assembling disparate everyday objects rather than flat paper.
  • Mixed media — a work that combines different materials, such as collage with paint, drawing, or text.

Collage became an artists’ technique in the early twentieth century, and the Dada movement was closely associated with it. Pioneers such as Pablo Picasso and Kurt Schwitters, who began making collages in 1918, showed that pasted paper could be serious art rather than decoration.

Pick one entry path and one small base to start, and make a few small pieces before a large one.

Basic Gear

Essential:

  • A sturdy base such as cardstock, a sketchbook page, or thin cardboard.
  • A supply of paper to cut or tear: old magazines, coloured paper, maps, packaging, or fabric scraps.
  • Scissors.
  • An adhesive suited to the materials: a glue stick or PVA (white craft) glue for paper, or a matte medium for mixed materials.
  • A pencil and scrap paper for planning and protecting the table.

Optional at first:

  • A craft knife and a cutting mat, for crisp, precise cuts.
  • Archival adhesive, such as wheat-starch paste or a conservation-grade PVA, if you want pieces to last.
  • A ruler, for straight cuts and measuring.
  • A folder or shallow box for keeping useful offcuts and images.

First Session

Choose three colours and cut or tear ten to fifteen shapes from your collected papers. Arrange a few large pieces first, then add smaller shapes to create contrast and a focal point. Move pieces around freely before gluing — the arrangement is the real work. Photograph the layout, then attach the pieces from the bottom layer upward, and leave the finished collage flat while it dries.

First Month

Use the first month to make several small collages rather than one ambitious piece. Try an abstract colour study, a landscape made from torn paper, a portrait assembled from unexpected textures, and a piece that includes text. Notice which adhesives, papers, and cutting methods feel most natural, and keep a small “keeper” pile of offcuts that work well together.

Costs

Collage can cost very little because magazines, packaging, leaflets, paper scraps, and reused card provide plenty of material; a glue stick and a pair of scissors are the only real purchases to start. Costs rise with archival adhesives, specialist papers, art prints, cutting tools, frames, gel mediums, and purchased vintage ephemera. Prices vary by region and change over time, so check current listings before budgeting for specialist materials.

Space Needed

A desk or dining table is enough for small work. Collage becomes easier when there is room to spread out and compare pieces, but a portable folder, tray, or box can keep an in-progress composition and loose scraps contained between sessions.

Solo or Social

Collage is often a quiet solo hobby, but it also works well in workshops, art journaling groups, family craft sessions, postcard swaps, and collaborative murals. Sharing a pile of materials can prompt ideas that would not appear when working alone. Online communities and local art schools, libraries, and craft groups often offer introductory collage and mixed-media classes.

Common Mistakes

  • Gluing every piece before testing the overall arrangement.
  • Using too many colours, images, or focal points in one small composition.
  • Adding pieces instead of editing them out, so the work becomes busy.
  • Applying wet adhesive too heavily and wrinkling thin paper.
  • Choosing a base that bends under layered or heavy materials.
  • Cutting toward the hand or using a craft knife without a cutting mat.
  • Saving every scrap until the materials become difficult to organise.

Safety / Accessibility

Use scissors and craft knives carefully, cut away from the body, and cap or store blades after use; keep sharp blades out of reach of children. Check ventilation and product labels when using spray adhesive, solvent-based glue, or sealants, and work in a well-ventilated room. Old ephemera can carry dust and mould, so handle it gently and wash your hands after a session. Pre-cut shapes, tearing instead of cutting, glue pens, large-handled scissors, digital collage tools, and short seated sessions can make the hobby easier to access.

Where It Can Go

Collage art can lead toward mixed media painting, art journaling, zines, book arts, handmade cards, illustration, printmaking, assemblage, altered books, textile collage, animation, digital collage, and exhibition work.

References

Last reviewed: 17 August 2026.

Background and terminology:

  • Tate, “Collage” (art term) — a museum guide defining collage, its French origins, and related terms such as papier collé, photomontage, décollage, assemblage, and mixed media.

Community resources (optional):

  • collageart.org — a community site dedicated to the art of collage, with links to collage artists, books, workshops, exhibition opportunities, and tools and supplies.

Scrapbooking, drawing, painting, photography, papermaking, bookbinding, printmaking, decoupage, creative writing, and marbling art all connect naturally with collage.