Inspiration

I’m looking to combine my love of multi-media art with this upcycle project. I have a lot of paper scraps, paper bags, magazines, and various art utensils laying around my house that I want to put to good use! I also know that I want to make something somewhat practical, more than just decor. I decided to make collage cards (be it thank you cards, happy birthday cards, valentines cards, etc) so that I can give them to friends and family and everyone can enjoy a thoughtful, homemade collage card. I am inspired by both the process and end-product in this type of work. The process can be somewhat tedious, constantly snipping, placing, and pasting materials, however I find it rather therapeutic. Then the end-product is always a unique piece that is brimming with personality.

    This may contain: four cards with different types of birthday cakes and candles on top of each card are shown   

Images (in order): Christine Stoll, Jennifer Wilkin Penick, Isabelle Plasschaert

What Aesthetic is This?

I would define the paper collage aesthetic as maximalist, vintage, retro, or natural. The maximalist vibe comes from having a lot of items pasted on a surface together – there’s plenty of things for your eyes to follow. The vintage/retro aesthetic comes from the materials used in the collage. If it’s a postcard from the 60s, or an old newspaper, or a magazine containing film photos, it will likely give the card a vintage/retro style. I mention a natural, earth-tone aesthetic because many upcycled or recycled materials are not stark white or fresh-out-of-the-factory feeling. Brown paper bags and torn-up, wrinkled materials with organic edges and textures create this aesthetic. Many collages can also feel nostalgic and whimsical, like a storybook.

This may contain: six coasters with different images of women on them, all made out of collages    carousel image 0   

Images (in order): Jennifer Wilkin Penick, Emily Blitzer, Chelsea Reagan

Materials

I have many brown paper Trader Joe’s bags that will be the base of the cards. I also have cardstock, old ribbon scraps, stickers, glue sticks, patterned paper, and maybe even gemstones. Most of my cards will involve putting together different colored paper scraps to make a cohesive design, For example, 3 stacked rectangle patches to make a tiered birthday cake. Additional materials I’d like to include in my cards are: vintage stamps, ribbon scraps, textured papers, old maps, and newspapers.

Cut off the bottom of the bag

Image: Paula Bierdall Krieg

Project Plan

To supplement the materials I already have at home, I’m planning a visit to Art Parts to gather some more paper supplies. They often sell ½” of cardstock for 50 cents, or a handful of vintage postcards for $1. I’d like to get inspired by the materials themselves, then decide what to put on the cards, rather than the other way around. I also plan on making envelopes for the cards, and if I find the right supplies, maybe even gift boxes. Since cards are relatively simple and inexpensive to make (compared to other methods such as woodworking or 3D printing), I plan on making at least 10 cards. 

Image: Chelsea Reagan

Links

Image 1:

https://christinestoll.com/products/collage-greeting-card-you-can-tell-her-age?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=3d9b20c50&pr_rec_pid=8439958438189&pr_ref_pid=8439958274349&pr_seq=uniform

Image 2:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnULJmBuhID/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D&epik=dj0yJnU9b1U1Xzh3VVJPOHVJYWFMRGdYVVFMQnpGQUNyNUFGM0wmcD0wJm49Vjg0NXdZSVd2QXZSNGtyMHRVOXpUQSZ0PUFBQUFBR2VhV0o4

 

Image 3: 

https://www.pinterest.com/bobonnebybebelle/

 

Image 4:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuJtTt8uJsf/?epik=dj0yJnU9bGRCV2t4cVoxRDZnQmFHUHd6SlEybWNGbFNoeEVmSHQmcD0wJm49Unh0cVhxb1o1NktMeWVRZDNGY21VZyZ0PUFBQUFBR2VhV1pz&img_index=1

 

Image 5:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/73897392/butterlies-collage-card?epik=dj0yJnU9VDNZOHB1ZVJfS0plRTZzVkN0SGtWV2dCOGp1VEYxUkwmcD0wJm49dUVSR3NtVnNTYS1oRldMU21XYzlSZyZ0PUFBQUFBR2VhV2ZB

 

Image 6:

https://www.chelsearagan.com/cards

 

Image 7:

https://bookzoompa.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/retro-grocery-bag-book-cover/

 

Image 8:

https://www.chelsearagan.com/cards

 

4 Comments. Leave new

  • Hi Abby! Your upcycled collage card project is a cool mix of creativity, sustainability, and practicality. The use of vintage and natural materials gives each piece a nostalgic and whimsical charm, and adds a sentimental feel to the cards. I love that the process itself is part of the appeal, you can see the time and attention in a collage, turning something tedious into something therapeutic is a great way to put it. Overall, this is a lovely and resourceful way to repurpose materials into meaningful art. Hope it all goes well, can’t wait to see the final result!

    • Abby Rindfuss
      February 5, 2025 5:17 pm

      Thanks for the comment! I agree that collages often display tiny details that are telling of attention and care, adding a lot of meaning to the work.

  • Abby, I really like the thought behind this project! The aesthetic as well is something very unique. Having such a large quantity of layers and detail with all different kinds of paper makes the end product really interesting. One thing I am curious about is, what is more of a factor when deciding what card to make, the material/texture or the color/pattern?

    • Abby Rindfuss
      February 5, 2025 5:20 pm

      Thanks for the comment Jack! I definitely plan on using all the layering techniques in the final products. Plus, since I’ll be making multiple cards, I’ll be able to explore a couple different methods of layering/material combinations/compositions. Your question is a hard one to answer. I’d say that for me personally, material and texture matter more than color and pattern because they are capable of providing more depth to a collage. However, I believe a good collage much have cohesive colors/patterns AND variety of textures/materials. I’m excited to explore both of these facets.

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