Magazine Mosaics

I love using old magazines or catalogs to make mosaics. It is so calming- a perfect stress release. It doesn't require any special materials. It costs virtually nothing. And the results are beautiful. Check out my latest mosaic:

To make a magazine mosaic, you need: a coloring page, a magazine or catalog, a toothpick, and white glue.

Begin by finding a coloring page you like. You can tear it from a coloring book or print one from a coloring page website. Look for designs that don't have small details. Avoid faces as well, as they are very difficult. I chose a gumball machine for me and the easier hot air balloon for Trevor.

Next, search through the magazine for the colors you need. Look for large areas of color, as they are the easiest to work with. Tear out the page, then tear off the edges. The mosaic looks much better if there are no finished edges on the project. 

Start tearing small bits from the color you've chosen. Use a toothpick to apply glue to the coloring page, then place the torn paper on top of the glue. The pieces can overlap, and you can use as many small bits as you want to fill a space.

Here's a look at my workspace. I'm left-handed, so my catalog, paper bits, and glue are all to the left of my paper. I always have to remember to set up the workspace differently for right-handed Trevor.

Here you can see that Trevor has positioned his very-important snack of Jelly Bellies on his right.

 

Here I am. 

Shortly after taking his picture, Trevor stopped working on his mosaic. I've done this project many times with 4th and 5th graders, but I suspected it might require more patience than my kindergartner has. Trevor often amazes me with his patience and ability to work for a long time at a single task, but in the late afternoon after a busy day, he wasn't in the mood to finish. Which is perfectly fine. Mine ended up taking about an hour and a half. That's a long time for a 5 year old.

Here's a closer look at my mosaic. I struggled to find a metal color to do the coin slot area. I ended up finding an ad for a silvery eyeshadow, and another ad for diamond rings. If you look carefully, you might be able to make those out in the picture. 

So much fun!