Collage Tip #2: There Must Be 50 Ways to Glue Your Collage…

Three Wishes, Journal Page October 27 2009

1. Permanent Glue Stick (my favs UHU, Coccoina (thanks Kelly Kilmer!), Lepage)
2. White Glue (like Elmer’s)
3. Clear Glue (Glossy Accents is great for embellishments on glass)
4. Gel Matte Medium (for thick papers and light objects)
5. Matte or Glossy Scotch Tape (for me it’s 3M or nothing!)
6. Modge Podge
7. Spray Adhesive (always use in a well ventilated area)
8. Patterned Scrap booking tapes
9. Masking Tape (try drawing on this — learned that from Juliana Coles)
10. Dymo Embossed Tape
11. Duct Tape (Duck Brand from Michaels comes in amazing colours & patterns)
12. Aluminium Tape (try embossing tools on this)
13. Electrical Tape
14. Packing Tape (this is great for making transfers, too!)
15. Wire (great for tin)
16. Bee’s Wax
17. Needle & Thread (sew by hand or machine)
18. String (natural or synthetic)
19. Embroidery Thread
20. Fabric Pins
21. Fabric Tape (for fabric)
22. Ribbon/Lace
23. Velcro
24. Thin Double-Sided Tape (great for under transparencies)
25. Thick Double-Sided Tape (to add dimension)
26. Glue dots
27. Regular Office Staples (silver)
28. Coloured Staples
29. Paper clips
30. Decorative paper clips
31. Post-it-notes
32. Brads (multi- or metallic coloured)
33. Eyelets (multi- or metallic coloured)
34. Sticky Photo Corners
35. Band aids
36. Medical tape
37. Nails (on thick substrates like wood)
38. Push pins (on corkboard)
39. Jello Pudding (just kidding!)

Wow!  I didn’t think I’d be able to come up with that many when I started.  I got all these wonderful alternative gluing ideas from mixed media books and magazines as well as great instructors.

In collage, glue is the tie that binds.  In fact you may already know that the word “collage” itself is derived from the French term “colle” which means “to glue”.  Once you really get to experimenting with your collage and mixed media work, you may want to shake things up by sticking the occasional item down with something other than glue to add further variety and interest to your art.

Like pieces of paper or other embellishments you choose to create your art with, the things you use to affix your papers can add that extra oomph to your collage, whether it’s on paper, canvas, fabric, tin, glass or wood, making it more visually appealing and meaningful.  In the above journal page example, as well as gluing my pieces on with permanent glue stick, I also attached a stamped birdcage on cardboard to the page with a brightly coloured piece of embroidery thread which hangs across the page; occasionally it slips out adding some charm and intrigue to my journal when it’s closed.  In the top left corner, I used a thick bit of 3M double-sided tape to give a flying bird some dimension on my page so it appears raised.  If archival considerations aren’t a major concern for you why not try to incorporate some of the more unorthodox gluing methods listed above.  All, of course, with the exception of Jello Pudding.  That you can save for dessert!!!

If you’ve used some inventive ways to “glue” your collage or mixed media pieces and would like to add to my “There Must Be 50 Ways… ” list, feel free to send me your ideas!