Science

How to make a photo collage. How to make a photo collage with your own hands: an original gift and interior decoration from paper and photographs. collage of circles

A collage of several photos can be used for completely different purposes. Firstly, as a decoration. Secondly, having framed such a work, you can give it to a friend or one of your relatives for a wedding anniversary, birthday or other celebration. In addition, collages can be a wonderful decoration for a living room or a country house. Sometimes they are used for promotional purposes or for a raffle.

What could be a collage?

It can be characterized primarily by the principle of execution. A do-it-yourself collage of photographs can be done electronically, and then printed (or left to design, for example, a web page) or done immediately on paper.

Secondly, it can be simple or complex. Thirdly, photographs are sometimes used exclusively as material, and it happens that they are supplemented with ornaments, drawings, appliqués and other decorative elements. Basically, it all depends on the goal pursued and the imagination of the author. The concept of "collage" is so broad that it includes a simple composition of several photos, and a real masterpiece using various artistic techniques.

Working with images in electronic form

Creating a collage from photos on a computer is possible in any graphic editor designed for such processing. As a rule, the action consists in selecting several thematic images, processing, cutting out the necessary fragments from them and combining them against a common background.

Professionals in this field, as a rule, do not stop there. They often strive to ensure that the composition looks like a single whole, and the transitions between its fragments are not noticeable. This is achieved by using various graphic editor tools. About how from photos, all professional photographers know. They offer this service for the design of wedding, graduation and other albums.

What materials are needed

Gathering from photographs with your own hands, you first need to determine its size and decide what will serve as the basis. It can be an A4 or A3 sheet, whatman paper, cardboard, a piece of plywood or plastic. In addition to it and directly to photographs, scissors, a ruler, a simple pencil and glue will come in handy. The rest depends on the imagination of the author. If you plan to use decorative details (ribbons, beads), you need to take care of their availability. In the case of designing a collage using drawn elements, you will need colored pencils or brushes with paints.

The finished work is often framed. You can also make it yourself or contact the framing workshop. Professionals also strongly recommend that, before making a collage of photographs, lay them out on the table, think and draw a layout of future work. Then things will move much faster.

Where to begin

As mentioned above, with an idea. That is, you should not act on the principle of "let's start, and then we'll figure it out along the way." Any work, even creative, requires order. Therefore, before you create a collage of photos, you need to clearly understand what it is for, what will be shown on it and in what sequence.

Then all the elements should be laid out on a prepared background according to the scheme. If necessary, to the desired size. Sometimes they are not used in their entirety, but only certain fragments of them. This issue is also solved with scissors.

When the composition is laid out, the elements need to be attached. PVA, silicate or other paper glue is suitable for this. Depending on the idea, you can leave an empty space between the elements, place them close to each other or even overlap (parallel, at an angle to each other or with a careless effect).

How to choose a photo

If we are talking about a thematic collage, each of its elements should correspond to the idea. For example, when creating a gift for a wedding anniversary, it would be appropriate to insert photos of children, grandchildren, the anniversaries themselves at different periods of their life together. Images should radiate warmth and be positive.

Before you make a comic collage of photos with your own hands, you should consider the idea and work out several options, choosing the most successful one. The composition can contain images of the same size or one large (main) and the rest smaller.

There are several rules, knowing which, it will be much easier to pick up a photo. First, the main element should be the largest. For example, if a collage is a wedding gift, the main thing will be a photo of the young. Secondly, when using fragments of images, you need to be very careful not to get a head without an ear or a figure without one arm. Thirdly, it is desirable that all faces look at the center of the collage, and not out. Thus, the integrity of the composition will be achieved.

finishing touches

After all the photos are glued, you can decorate them with ribbons, beads, or decorate them with a pattern. Sometimes the most unusual objects are used in creativity (buttons, colored threads, dried leaves and even berries). All this is also glued to the background according to the original plan. Undoubtedly, in the process of creating a work, it can change a little, but without it it is impossible.

If the composition, as planned, should take place on the wall, it is necessary to frame it and make fixtures. It is better for a beginner to entrust this work to a professional and contact a framing workshop.

In principle, even a child can make a collage of photos with his own hands (many kids love this activity very much). No special technique, skill or special knowledge is required here. However, this fact does not at all mean the simplicity of the process. When creating any work of art (and collage, no doubt, it belongs to those), creativity, idea and accuracy of execution are important. Only in this case the result will please both the author and the audience. And if you act not alone, but collectively (with a noisy company or with the whole family), then it will also be fun.

Each of us has a huge photo archive, photos accumulate on electronic media and it is not always possible to see what interests us at the moment. There are photos that I would like to always have before my eyes, whether it is a family history, a memory of relatives and friends, pleasant events or pets. From this we can conclude that photographs are one of the best decorations for an apartment. They will enliven the atmosphere of the house, bring comfort and allow you to create a unique style of your "nest" without major alterations. In this article, you will learn how to make a collage of photos with your own hands on the wall. The remarkable thing is that when creating this wonderful decor, everyone at home can take part - just in case a new photo of the “happy moment” will appear.

Collage - Literally translated from French as "gluing". In art, they call it a method of decoration, where a material of different color and texture is glued onto a base.

Deciding on a place

Before starting work, you should decide on the location of the collage. The room chosen for placing the collage should be spacious enough, for the wall where we want to place the photos, a good view is required, about 2 meters of free space to cover the entire composition. There are many recommendations for accommodation, which one to choose is up to you.

For example, you can choose a wall in the hallway or kitchen, however, in this case, due to the small size of the premises, there is a danger that the composition will be “lost”.


Think about what photos will go to the design of the collage. One of the main rules is unity of subject matter, subject, such as wedding photos or photos of children. Before placing a photo collage on the wall, it is recommended to lay out the photos on the floor and evaluate their location. At this stage, you can move the photo cards or add new ones.

The photo on the wall should be placed in such a way that the central line of the composition is at the eye level of the person looking at it. If the photos are different in size, then the largest one is located slightly above this level, so that it is more convenient to view the smaller ones. The composition should also not be placed above a bed or a sofa - it will be trivially uncomfortable for you when you want to look at them, and even with improper fastening, the composition may fall.

Favorite moments of your life are safer to place above the head of the bed, black and white photographs will look very stylish.


Suitable Ideas

When placing photos, you can use ready-made design tips, or come up with your own, the main thing here is to feel the general style of the room.

You can use frames that are the same size, color, and style, or multi-colored, up to a maximum of three different photo shapes or sizes. Frames are an important element of decor, and not just “framing” a photo. With multi-colored frames it is more difficult, as they require the impeccable taste of the author of the composition. DIY frames are very original, especially in the nursery.

If the photos are different in size, then they should be placed from large to small. Such a composition will look more dynamic.

Original examples

Here is an example of such a way to design a collage:

Let's consider the following workshops on making a collage from photos: on a large drawing paper, draw a base on which photos are glued. Photos can overlap, but the composition should not be oversaturated.

Printed photos of the same format in the same frames are placed on the wall. We attach photos at the same distance from each other, measuring the desired location with a ruler or masking tape.

If you want to be creative, you can place photos in a simple and original way. Attach a clothesline to the wall in the room and attach the photo with clothespins. Such an exposition is very easy to update periodically.

A collage of many small photographs placed in one large frame will look original. For the base, we need, for example, a sheet of plywood ennobled with a beautiful baguette frame. The result is a wonderful whole "picture".

One of the latest creative ideas is to place photos without a frame at all. You will need any substrate: cardboard, plastic or other material that can hold its shape well. The base must be drawn and cut out with a knife, while the size of the photo and the base must match. If you wanted to make the size of the base a little larger, then you get a great frame.

When creating a collage, not only photographs in frames are used, but also paintings, mirrors, plates and panels.

Finally, I would like to say about the methods of fastening, which depend on the desire of the author and the coating on the walls. Remember that paper wallpaper may be damaged by glue, which will be impossible to disguise. You can easily solve the problem with the help of double-sided tape or special Velcro.

Video on the topic of the article

Video tutorials on making a collage of photos on the wall:

Literally, collage is translated from French as “gluing”. Now collage is a kind of design technique, which consists in making combinations of different materials, such as various pictures, photos, fabric, foil and others. This method of diversifying the surrounding space has been used since ancient times. With the advent of photography, photo collages appeared - pictures pasted on any basis. How to make a photo collage as a gift for friends and family quickly and simply with your own hands with the selection of a topic - we will tell in our article.

When creating a photo collage, you should follow several basic steps, which we will discuss below.

How to make a photo collage with your own hands in a simple and step-by-step master class

We choose a topic.
The very first and rather important step is choosing a theme for the photo collage. Usually these are some memorable moments of life, important events, such as a wedding or anniversary, graduation party or travel. And sometimes the entire biography of a person is reflected in one photo collage.
We select photos.
The moment of preparing photos is the most important step in creating a photo collage. You need to sort the images, choose the highest quality, crop them to the desired size. If desired, you can scan the pictures and process them in a special program, setting a certain new style.

We make out.

And, of course, you can not do without registration. Here you can show your creativity and imagination. For example, a birthday collage can be decorated with bright elements, and photos can be placed in colorful frames. Such a photo collage will certainly cheer you up and create a sense of celebration.

Making a paper photo collage.

No special skills and artistic talents are needed to make it. But how then to make a photo collage with your own hands? Easy with step by step instructions. To make a simple photo collage, prepare the following:

  • cardboard for the base;
  • Photo;
  • double sided tape;
  • decoupage varnish (optional).

Prepare images by cropping them to the desired size. If you are using plain cardboard, you can pre-tint it. Then attach the photos to a sheet of cardboard using double tape and cover with a layer of varnish. You can do without it. First, place the shots around the perimeter of the base to achieve symmetry, and then fill in the middle in random order. Ready! Now you can hang the collage on the wall and decorate as you wish.

We collect a photo collage on matchboxes using an interesting technique

Now let's take a closer look at a more complex and interesting version of the collage. It is necessary to prepare:
  • Photo;
  • empty matchboxes;
  • cardboard;
  • glue;
  • paints;
  • scissors;
  • decoration items.

Lay out the boxes in a rectangle shape. The most convenient format is 6 x 12. Photos will be placed in these boxes.

Glue matchboxes onto a cardboard base, and then paint with a brush or spray paint. Instead of staining, you can use decorative paper.

While the glue and paint are drying, prepare your photographs. Cut them to fit the box.

When the base is dry, place the photo in the cells. If there are not enough pictures, cover the empty spaces with colored paper.

It remains to decorate the collage with decorative elements, such as ribbons, flowers and other similar items. Work completed. Such a photo collage can be presented to one of your friends and relatives, or left as a memory.

Materials and tools needed to create a framed collage:

  • frame (furniture facade is used here);
  • elastic;
  • stapler for furniture;
  • stationery clips;
  • a photo.

Attach the elastic bands to the back of the frame first. The most convenient way to do this is with a stapler, but you can also hammer in small nails or screw in screws. The number of rubber bands depends on the size of the frame.

Then attach clips to the photo. Use a flat object such as a ruler.

It remains only to arrange the photos on the rubber bands with the help of clips. That's it, you can hang the collage on the wall.

Instead of cutting paper photos with scissors, you can first process them digitally. Spend some time at the computer, it will make collage making easier and faster.

Here you can not do without a graphic editor. Photoshop is perfect for this purpose. With it, any beginner will be able to assemble a photo collage.

First you need to choose the size of the base for the composition. As a background, any picture or photograph is suitable.

Before creating a collage, process the photo by adjusting the brightness, contrast and colors. Experiment with filters and effects.

Add a photo to the collage. The size of images is adjusted using the transform function. Photos can be rotated and resized in every possible way.

Decorate an almost finished collage with graphic elements or brush strokes. Add photo frames, different objects cut out from other images.

You can learn more about homemade photo collages in the videos below.

Video on the topic of the article

One of the touching gifts is a photo collage. This is due to the fact that photographs are not only interesting images, but also keepers of human emotions and feelings. Such a gift can be presented absolutely for any holiday, which makes it not only memorable, but also universal. You can make a photo collage with your own hands in various ways, and you can ignite the activity of the imagination based on the ideas below.

One of the touching gifts is a photo collage.

There are many ideas for designing a collage of photographs, which differ from each other in the complexity of the compositions, the necessary elements and tools. Any of them is a great gift for the holiday, and it doesn’t matter which one, because photos collected in the same style carry positive energy and charge you with positive energy every time you view it.

Most often, photo collages are made for the following holidays:

  • wedding and its anniversaries;
  • birthday;
  • mothers Day;
  • anniversaries.

Also, a photo collage can be made from photos of a kindergarten or school. It can decorate the walls of the house and, along with a photo album, carry information about family and friends.

Gallery: photo collage (25 photos)























DIY photo collage for mother's day

Most often, parents are presented with simple compositions from photographs so that they can examine the quivering images as carefully as possible and recall old emotions and feelings. Therefore, the best option for creating a collage for Mother's Day is its design on a substrate. You can also make a beautifully unusual template from whatman paper and photos for a birthday greeting to a man from a woman. In order to make it look festive and unusual, you can look online for free samples and templates on the Internet and insert with Kalash all the photos that have been connecting you for many years.

For this you will need:

  • square high-quality bright photos in multiples of 4 (of the same size);
  • polyurethane, plywood or plastic base 40x60 centimeters;
  • double sided tape;
  • foam brushes;
  • matte glue for decoupage.

Most often, parents are presented with simple compositions from photographs.

How to do:

  1. The first step is to outline the future composition. To do this, place the selected photos on the basis. The pictures should be arranged in even rows.
  2. After the composition is balanced and harmonious, you need to stick all the photos in their places using double-sided tape.
  3. After gluing all the photos, the collage should be smeared with glue so that it becomes one and is protected from dust and dirt. To process the composition of the terminals, use a foam brush.
  4. When the glue dries, the collage should be turned over and attached to the base with the fastener necessary to hang the composition on the wall.

For such a composition, you should choose high-quality and bright photographs, it is desirable that they remind your mother of the most important and happiest moments of her life. Therefore, on Mother's Day, you can collect photographs of the hero of the occasion herself, as well as her children from infancy. This will turn out to be a touching story of her life. If there are few such photos, you can arrange a composition by taking images from a vacation or travel.

How to make a birthday photo collage?

Creativity and imagination should be applied to the creation of a birthday present. Compositions based on original geometric shapes look interesting. If your loved one has a birthday, you can make a collage in the shape of a heart, and if a colleague has a birthday, give him a composition-initials from photographs. If the hero of the occasion is an animal lover, the photo can be framed on the silhouette of your beloved pet, and if he recently traveled to rest to the sea - in the form of sunglasses or a beach umbrella.

An original gift is made from the following necessary items:

  • photographs of any size and shape;
  • the basis of the chosen form;
  • ice-backlight and fixtures for it;
  • double sided tape.

Creativity and imagination should be applied to the creation of a birthday present.

How is it done:

  1. The photos are arranged on the base so that there are no empty areas between them. You also need to make sure that the photos do not block each other too much. In order for the composition in the chosen form to look organic, it is allowed to change the angles of mounting photos, but not at a large angle.
  2. The finished work can be laminated, placed under glass or fixed with decoupage varnish.
  3. You can decorate the composition with the help of additional elements. Ice lighting looks very impressive. To do this, run a cord along the edge of the mold, securing it with fasteners every 4-5 centimeters.

Also, various paper flowers, buttons, rhinestones, beads, stickers can be used as decorative elements. They will give the composition a special mood and emphasize its individuality.

Collage of wedding anniversary photos

A wedding anniversary is a family holiday, so a gift for it should be chamber and touching. An anniversary photo collage can be made from matchboxes - it turns out an original and delicate composition, devoid of bulky elements.

For manufacturing you will need:

  • photographs of various sizes;
  • cardboard base;
  • pencil;
  • glue (preferably use instant crystal);
  • double sided tape;
  • decorative elements;
  • matchboxes;
  • scrapbooking paper with various wedding inscriptions;
  • acrylic paint.

A wedding anniversary is a family holiday, so a gift for it should be intimate and touching.

Design technology:

  1. Before you start creating a composition, you need to draw a sketch of it. The sketch should reflect the ratio of different sizes of matchboxes or their group.
  2. Next, the intended ornament is laid out from the boxes, the extra faces are removed in order to form larger cells.
  3. All boxes are carefully glued to the base with glue.
  4. The resulting base is tinted with acrylic paint and left to dry completely.
  5. Then photos are glued into the cells using double-sided tape. It is worth considering that the picture should not be glued into each cell. Various decorative elements can be added to some cells, by the way, there are various examples of gluing wedding paraphernalia there: rings, images of doves, glasses, dresses and suits, a bride's bouquet.
  6. Some cells can be decorated with simple scrapbook paper cutouts with inscriptions.

After the glue dries, the collage can be fixed with decoupage glue. It will be possible to broadcast a picture on the wall or give it as a gift after a few hours - as soon as the glue is completely dry.

Photo collage on the theme "My family"

Family photo collages - the most dimensional in size. This is due to the fact that the family history is quite long and can be constantly replenished. Therefore, to create a composition on the theme of "Family", it is better to use a collage design scheme from individual shots. Instead of a photo collage, a large postcard is also suitable where you can also paste small photos and write “our friendly family”, a child can carry such a composition to kindergarten.

To compose a composition you need:

  • photos of the same size (composition of square photos looks spectacular);
  • plastic or foam board;
  • stationery knife;
  • glue.

A huge plus of this collage is that it can be replenished with new photos at any time.

How to DIY:

  1. First of all, according to the size of the photo (0.5 centimeters more on each side), a substrate is cut out of plastic or foam board. Cut out the base with a clerical knife.
  2. Photographs are glued onto the cut out base with glue. The edges of the bases will act as photo frames, so you should leave the same free space on each side. Also, the base can be decorated with wallpaper or other neutral paper or material. For these purposes, you can use samples of wallpaper or furniture upholstery.
  3. Photos on substrates are placed on the wall. An original and simple move is to arrange all the substrates in several straight rows. This arrangement will resemble a real family photo album.

A huge plus of this collage is that it can be replenished with new photos at any time.

The latest trend in photo collages is to create creative shapes from just unframed photos. It's funny and can give unexpected results. For your inspiration, we have collected 17 of the best DIY examples. In most cases, photos are mounted directly on the wall, sometimes on thick paper, canvas, or hung on a wire. In any case, these are very cheap ways to create a photo collage. It just takes a little time and imagination. You can print photos of the same or different sizes. It depends on your idea.

Photo hearts are trending right now.

The latest fashion is creating a heart-shaped collage from Instagram photos.


Got an empty corner? Make a photo collage in the shape of a heart. postalpix.

A neat idea to combine a wall clock and a photo collage

Photos are located around the clock. photojojo.

Unusual shape inspires

The deer head is very popular lately. Why not make it from your photos?

Decorate your walls

Great idea for decoration.


Use twine to create an interesting geometric shape.

Hang your photos on a wire

Set of square photos from Artifact Uprising


This hanging photo wall looks very modern.


The cloud-shaped collage makes this room very inviting. This idea of ​​posting photos without frames was spied on in one Parisian loft. Learn more about him at remodelista.com

Strict, even, flawless rectangle from the photo

Rectangular photo collage with neatly placed photos.


Do you have a big wall? Make a giant Instagram collage out of photos arranged by color.

To create an eclectic decor, make a free-form photo collage

The frames and the tree itself are actually vinyl decals.

The whole wall is a big collage.


Custom made wallpaper.

Timeless b/w

A collage that can grow...


…and become a chic black and white photo wall.


They say that in b / w any photo is better.