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Creating a Collage Series with 5 Types of Handmade Papers
There’s something so satisfying about seeing all your collage papers come together in harmony, like different voices in the same choir. In this Tune in Tuesday, I created a cohesive mini collage series using five types of papers I’ve made over the past few months.
Each of these papers came from a different Tune in Tuesday demo (glue gun stencils, balloon texture papers, dendritic prints, spinner art, and handmade paper) and now, I’m bringing them all together to show how you can create a unified collage series from any collage papers as long as they are all created from the same 2 primaries.
Building a Cohesive Body of Work
When I look at my growing paper collection and art pieces (fifteen finished collages and counting), what makes them all work together visually is color harmony. Every collage, no matter the technique, uses the same limited palette: Phthalo Blue Green Shade, Hansa Yellow Light, and Quinacridone Magenta, plus black and white.
This consistency lets me mix and match papers from any collage paper project and have them all look like they belong together. It’s one of my favorite secrets for creating collages that feel both spontaneous and intentional.
Starting with Five Papers
For this project, I challenged myself to make two small 5×5-inch collages using just five papers total — one from each of the five most recent paper‑making techniques I’ve shared on YouTube.
I began by laying out all my papers and asking, “Which one is my favorite right now? Which is shouting use me!?”
For me, it was a bright, energetic spinner paper, which became my foundation piece to build the collage around.
From there, I layered in quieter papers – a soft handmade sheet, a delicate dendritic print, and a few textured accents from the glue gun and balloon techniques. I made sure to balance patterned and quiet designs, light and dark values, large and small pieces.
Playing with Composition
Once I chose my five papers, I began playing with composition by flipping, trimming, and rotating until I felt a tingle inside that said that each piece was in its perfect place. One of my favorite tips is to vary the orientation and size of each piece so they are different from the other collage I’m creating for the series. For example, a vertical strip in one collage might become horizontal in the next.
Even though my two collages use the same papers, they still feel distinct from each other. Together, they create a pair that clearly belong to the same family, but each has its own personality.
Limitation as Inspiration
Working within narrow parameters can be incredibly freeing. For these collages, my only “rules” were:
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Use five papers from five different techniques.
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Make each collage stand alone and connect visually to the other.
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Each paper within the collage was a different size, and was placed next to another piece of a different value/type of pattern.
By setting parameters to work within, I gave myself room to experiment, and ended up with collages that I abolutely love.
The Joy of Series Work
Creating in a series doesn’t just build your skills, it also builds a story. Each collage becomes a new chapter in your creative evolution.
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The Supplies to Create These Papers:
Collage papers used to create this mini-series
Handmade paper
Spinner art
Balloon Textures
Glue Gun Stencils
Dentritic paper
The 7 other videos that show creating collage series in the Tune In Tuesday
Part 7.
Part 6.
Part 5.
Part 4.
Part 3.
Part 2.
Part 1.
Are you interested in learning more about how to incorporate your collage papers into your art?
Check out my Collage Workshops!
