Children’s Artwork Collage
I am really excited about having Randi from Swoon here today sharing the beautiful artwork collage she made with her daughter. Be sure to check out more creative projects over at her amazing blog (be prepared to spend time browsing) and stop by her sweet online shop, Swoon Paper Studio.
Hello! It’s Randi, popping in from Swoon. I’m so honored that Mariah asked me to share a project with you in this space!
Focusing on learning and creating with my kids tends to produce piles of beloved artwork in our house. I’ve tried a lot of different methods to corral this collection, while still respecting their masterpieces. I hate throwing away anything they make, yet it’s not doing anyone any good stored away for years either.
Generally, if the artwork has no sentimental meaning (such as coloring book pages), I wait a few days and then throw them away. But, if your children are anything like mine, there are plenty of originals created nearly every day as well. My four year old loves to paint and will often create 3-4 watercolors in one sitting. Recently, we came up with a fun way to display her artwork without taking up the whole wall.
All you need for this project is a small circle punch, several paintings or drawings your child doesn’t mind “re-purposing,” a piece of cardstock, glue stick, ruler, and a frame (optional).
To begin, you may want to cut your artwork into smaller pieces to allow yourself more access with the punch. I laid out the pieces of paper and punch and let my four year old do the rest! She needed a little help with the punch at first, but quickly got the hang of it. This project kept her entertained for the better part of an hour as she tried to get as many different colored circles as she could. She also enjoyed occasionally counting the circles.
While your child is busy punching, prepare your cardstock. Decide how much of a border you would like around your finished collage (I chose a 2” border) and faintly outline with a pencil. Begin gluing your circles in a grid. I ended up using 77 circles (7 across, 11 down) total.
Once you’ve assembled your new artwork, frame it or simply clip it to the wall!
P.S. Turn your child’s drawings that do hold sentimental value into a book, or even a stuffed friend!
Latest posts by Randi (see all)
- Collaborative Art: Making a Masterpiece Together - May 17, 2013
- DIY Tin-Can Stilts - May 1, 2013
- Handmade Solar System in a Box - April 18, 2013
- Fairy Garden in a Box - March 27, 2013
- Crafts for Kids: Animal Mosaics - March 14, 2013
You might also like...
That is lovely! What a great idea.
I have also used a round hole punch (3/4″) to make marble magnets with my kids artwork and packaged it in altoid style tins to give as gifts. (http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/marblemagnets/) I learned the hard way to make sure the art was done with something that is not water soluble since the glue (Aileen’s tacky glue) reconstitutes it.
This is so lovely. I love that it looks clean and professional and is the perfect way to keep all the wonderful artwork, too! I bet your daughter was proud of this, yes?!
Sarah M
Here is a cute and easy way to display your child’s artwork.
http://attheendofthedrive.blogspot.com/2011/08/organizing-your-childs-artwork.html
I love this idea! I have saved so many artwork pieces from my two year old who LOVES anything with color. What a great idea to make something with ALL of her work!
Hi Emily! It is so nice to “see” you here. I hope all is well with you and your family…
What a wonderful idea – I love that each piece can take pride of place in the home as well.
Fabulous collage! Did you read the survey about parents feeling guilty about throwing their kids’ drawings away? Here are some more ideas for storing, displaying and making keepsakes from kids’ art. http://www.happydoodles.com/blogs/news/6041344-63-of-parents-feel-guilty-about-ditching-kids-artwork
What a wonderful way to honor your child’s creativity. Looks beautiful1
[...] Create a collage like this neat [...]