We have a new organizer for all of our collage materials and supplies! All the better to prepare for collage art projects, wouldn’t you say?
The container is from the lovely Goodwill near us and is heaps better than the old (similarly sectioned) container we were keeping our collage materials in. This one is very sturdy, made by Tupperwear, and is a full 14 inches across and almost 3 inches deep in the center. It is well able to carefully corral each of our various collage materials until ready for use.
Want to know what we have in here?
Our list of Collage Materials and Supplies
Feathers
, an assortment of dried beans, googly eyes, various buttons, cotton balls, colored tissue paper, and, in the center, ribbons.
We also regularly use colored masking tape, washi tape, fabric scraps, stickers, colored pasta, and more.
What are your favorite collage materials and supplies? Where do you keep them?
Some collage art ideas to make use of all the lovely collage materials
- Kids’ Mixed Media Art with Fabric Scraps
- A Multi-Media Collage Portrait
- Masking Tape Art
- 13 Sticker Art Projects for Kids
- Pasta Art Activities for Kids
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33 Comments
Heather
February 24, 2010 at 1:36 pmI like ripping corrugated cardboard and dissecting the layers to expose the wavy texture inside. I also like using construction paper that was scribbled on but not completed and old paintings the kids have since forgotten. I’ve started saving foil-like packing from foods we get (like Teddy grahams comes in a foil bag and the pull off foil from applesauce and frosting) to use for robot collages.
V
February 24, 2010 at 2:26 pmWe like glitter and differently shaped/colored pastas. My four-year old is extremely interested in masking tape and craft sticks right now as well. He creates these ellaborate 3-D constructions that are beautiful. In the 3-D collage universe, my kids also really love to use pipe cleaners.
Aimee
February 24, 2010 at 2:39 pmI love to collage with old magazines, personally, and bits from different kinds of paper. I save pieces of pretty gift wrap or cards. Oh, and I LOVE postcards.
Mel
February 24, 2010 at 3:05 pmIf you ever have time, I have a request for a future post.=) I am wondering if you have suggestions for how to let older kids have access to art supplies while there are smaller siblings around. I have a 4 year old who LOVES to create, but I feel very limited on what I can “leave out” for her to experiment with on her own because of her little sister. My 4-year old would love to have access at all times to scissors, crayons, markers, glue and paint, but I feel like everything needs to be put away for the safety of her sister and our walls and furniture.=) It may be a while before your littlest is really mobile, but do you happen to have any suggestions? Thanks!
The Artful Parent
February 24, 2010 at 3:07 pmhow old is the sister?
Deborah
February 24, 2010 at 3:16 pmWe just started doing collages and using glue and glitter with my 2 1/2 year old. We just used a bunch of pussy willows that fell off the branch for our last one! My son loved feeling them as he stuck them on! Thanks for giving me more ideas.
The Artful Parent
February 24, 2010 at 3:23 pmooh! I love the pussy willow idea!
The Artful Parent
February 24, 2010 at 3:24 pmI think I’ll need to have a second collage container for collecting various papers — corrugated cardboard, old paintings, pre-punched paper, etc…
Concetta Perot, Glittering Shards
February 24, 2010 at 3:30 pmDried orange peel – just put on a radiator while you are peeling it and before long you’ll have a stash of it. It breaks into smaller pieces easily and it smells lovely! We made orange peel mosaics 2 weeks ago and posted a tutorial here https://glitteringshards.blogspot.com Milk bottle tops is also a favourite with my two! Have fun!
molly
February 24, 2010 at 4:10 pmFabric scraps, newspaper clippings, mesh produce bags (cut up), sequins, etc.
What fun. And, great find at Goodwill!
[email protected]'s Explore
February 24, 2010 at 4:51 pmWhat a good find! :) Some of our fave collage things at the moment are puzzle pieces (from incomplete puzzles, of course!), lids, cut-up straws, foam stickers, blank labels, feather, and wood pieces/scraps. Happy collaging!
Deborah Stewart
February 24, 2010 at 5:28 pmWhat a really cute idea!!
dana
February 24, 2010 at 5:46 pmwhat a great idea! :]
you can also use the little circles from the hole puncher and seeds of any kind- you can do various seasonal activities with them.
Katrina
February 24, 2010 at 5:51 pmPut that thing on a lazy susan and I’m all overit ! I’d also have to add craft sticks and masking tape which my son adores to use. I recently created an “invention box.” It’s a great exercise in imagining for kids and adults alike. As a bonus, it’s also a great way to clean out the junk drawer!
Mel
February 24, 2010 at 6:09 pmShe just turned two.
amy
February 24, 2010 at 1:20 pmLooks like a good idea. We use pre-punched papers and glitter and stickers. I like the button idea because I have way too many of them and I am never going to do anything with them!
Michelle
February 24, 2010 at 6:21 pmI love using cut up straws, ribbons and scraps of craft foam
The Artful Parent
February 24, 2010 at 7:10 pmSo many great ideas!
Gail
February 24, 2010 at 7:54 pmWe love to sing Susan Striker’s (Young at Art)”stick, stick, stick to my glue, stick to my glue my paper”… to the tune of “Skip to my Lou” when collaging:)
[email protected]
February 24, 2010 at 3:50 pmVery inspiring! It makes me want to do a collage. :)
My boys love to use scissors, so we often use old magazine pictures or paper they’ve cut into shapes.
Rachel
February 24, 2010 at 10:34 pmi sent the boys around our neighbor’s yard the other day with baskets in hand to collect whatever “treasures” they could find. they returned with sticks, leaves, etc. they then collaged with them. it was fun to talk about natural elements in their “winter” state.
we also love to collage with popsicle sticks and lids to milk/oj jugs.
fun post and comments!
Amanda
February 24, 2010 at 7:18 pmWe have a similar container we keep our collage in but I love that yours was “treasure” found in an op shop. Some of the interesting collage items we like store in it are….
bubble wrap
cut up old art/paintings
aluminium foil
paper towel that’s had eye dropper painting done to it – it’s cut up into various shapes
felt. Very colourful!
toasted
February 25, 2010 at 2:50 amI’d like to see that post as well. My two have the same age gap as Mels. It all goes well if I’m hands on, but I can’t just let them go at it. Except with collages actually. Oh, and big bits of paper with crayons – I just have to make a space that can get dirty and be nearby. More thoughts would be good.
toasted
February 25, 2010 at 2:50 amFantastic idea.
toasted
February 25, 2010 at 2:52 amWe love trying lots of different things but the perennial favourite is bits of coloured paper that my 4 yr-old can cut up first and then stick on. Oh, and little shop-bought pom-poms always rock the joint too.
Lindsay R
February 25, 2010 at 3:27 amoooohhhh…so many good ideas of things to save…i’m already such a packrat, but i just can’t get enough! ;-)
Angela
February 25, 2010 at 5:57 amOh, what a good idea for dip platter! If I’m not careful, my kids will glue down anything that doesn’t move and some that do. Narrowing down their options in this way might be good!
Bits of wrapping paper and gift cards, things cut out of magazines and catalogs are favs around here I didn’t see mentioned above.
Julie Liddle
February 25, 2010 at 7:07 amWhat a great list…I was going to add bubble wrap, but it finally came up at the end…anything collected from nature, colored pasta, crinkled tissue paper strands (see D.S.S. — the kids LOVE it, similar to easter basket grass but multi-colored).
Heather
February 25, 2010 at 11:00 amYes I keep a shallow but big storage box for all the scrap paper. My favorite collage material was when I was an art teacher I’d get the little rectangular confetti scraps from the machine that would bind books (sort of like a spiral book but it was a plastic thing that slipped on). They were the best for snow collages because about 90% were white and the little colored flecks popped. Doubt I described that well but I would love to have a source for that confetti now!
Jean Van't Hul
February 25, 2010 at 6:39 amSo many wonderful ideas! Thank you! I can’t wait to assemble another selection of collage materials! Cut up straws, various papers, bubble wrap, milk jug lids, bubble wrap, sequins, etc, etc, etc!
Aimee
February 25, 2010 at 12:24 pmOh, I forgot: bottle caps! I save them in the drawer with my bottle opener, so I always have a little stash.
A Magical Childhood
March 1, 2010 at 1:57 amI’m sorry to say I am too stingy (frugal?) to put out beautiful buttons and googly eyes in piles like that, especially with four kids! :) I love to use natural materials like rose petals from the garden, grass, dried leaves, seeds etc. when they’re in season and not covered in snow.
For indoor things, we use cut up craft ribbon or curling ribbon, magazine confetti, dried split peas, cut up craft fabric (ruined clothes go under the sink for crafts), colorful home-dyed rice and things like that.
Elaine
March 3, 2013 at 5:27 pmre siblings: I put my older kid in an old-fashioned playpen when she wants to build with Lego or jigsaws. The younger kid then desperately wants to play in the playpen too [this can be useful]. you could try this with collage?