Creative Collage: 30 Projects to Transform Your Collages into Wall Art, Personalized Stationery, Home Accessories, and More

by Clare Youngs

Discover how to make creative, personal collages with advice, techniques, and projects from craft author and graphic designer Clare Youngs.

We are all born with an inner desire to express ourselves. Making collages, especially in the form of art journals, gives you an opportunity to express thoughts, feelings, and wishes and to capture memories. It is a way of collating and putting thoughts in order. You can look back at filled pages with a real sense of accomplishment. Most of all it is fun! In Creative Collage, Clare Youngs reveals the secrets of collaging, one of her favorite crafts. Learn about the kinds of paper you can use, such as maps, tickets, photographs, typography, and magazine pages, and how to add texture, use layering, and make use of geometric designs. Some of Clare's amazing collages are included for inspiration, and she explains how she chose the materials and composition for each one. Clare then presents a collection of projects that offer unique ways to display your collages and even make 3-D collages, such as a decoupaged chest of drawers and a family photo wooden block house. Along with helpful prompts to give you ideas for collages, such as “something you saw on a walk” or “a happy memory,” this book provides all you need to get started with this personal, expressive craft.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Crafts, Creative

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of nifty ideas in this one - from simple paper birds to an awesome, colorful chest of drawers.

I used the bird project with the kids at the library this summer, and they made some lovely chirpers.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will be coming!

[Marina]

Bright, fresh and inspiring, this was a lovely gift to receive. I don’t find collage easy (it’s trying to make the random look attractive or the attractive look random!) but Clare Youngs (a consistently good craft author) makes me believe I can do it.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really lovely book, colorful and whimsical, infused with the author's aesthetic. I would think collage would be difficult to teach as so much depends on the selection of so many disparate elements - so much is left up to the "taste" level of the crafter... That said, many of the projects are very sweet, bordering on twee, not my style but pretty to the eye. Nice photography, good step-by-step organization with graphics. (Hate the project title typography...) I can't imagine investing so much time into some pieces, the gift tags and the little notebooks, but these ideas spark more ideas...

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

All new way to view collage- I love collage and I love the way collage has changed in my lifetime of making art. I will never look at junk mail negatively again !! But with a spark of interest as to what can I do with this piece of paper!!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Great artists who made collage part of their lifetime's work have always inspired me. Although the techniques have been used since the invention of paper in China around 200 B.C.E., the word "collage" was first used in connection with art by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso at the beginning of the 20th century, when the technique became an important part of the Modern Art movement... In his later years, Henry Matisse created the most beautiful artworks from cut paper. He said it was drawing with scissors. I love that." Introduction - pg. 6

Creative Collage has a diverse array of projects that are well documented through illustrations and photography. Clare provides adroit instructions to create some pretty, quirky, and relatively straightforward designs for gifts and or personal decor. I particularly liked the Decorative Flowers and Leaves, which incorporates copper wire. Other faves were Photo Wall Hanging and Collaged Tote that all have templates as part of the resources provided. A handy list of suppliers is provided, although, since it's published in the UK, it would have been nice to see Canadian and Australian suppliers as well. A great Crafting resource that makes notable use of Collage.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have seen Clare Young's work you will find her book a great starting point for making your own collage papers from the same techniques Clare uses, and it also includes some interesting projects.
A very useful book.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and I gave it to two collage friends who also used it for inspiration.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and follow. Nice projects.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommended by Cassie Stephan’s. Whom I adore.