Add texture by glueing something weird to your artwork
Create a textured collage by safely gluing unusual materials like feathers, pasta, fabric scraps, and foil onto artwork to explore texture and design.
Step-by-step guide to add texture by gluing unusual materials to your artwork
Step 1
Gather all the materials from the list and bring them to a clear table or workspace.
Step 2
Place your paper or cardboard flat on the table so it is ready to hold your collage.
Step 3
Choose a fun theme or simple picture you want to make like a garden or a silly monster.
Step 4
Lightly draw your design on the paper with a pencil or colouring materials.
Step 5
Mark small spots where you want to add texture by drawing tiny dots or Xs.
Step 6
Tear or cut fabric scraps and foil into small pieces you will use as textured bits.
Step 7
Put a small dab of glue onto one marked spot using the glue bottle or brush.
Step 8
Press one texture item like a feather pasta piece or fabric scrap onto the glue and hold it for a few seconds.
Step 9
Repeat Steps 7 and 8 to add different materials across your design until you like how it looks.
Step 10
Let your collage dry completely before moving it.
Step 11
Share your finished textured collage on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have feathers or pasta pieces listed for the textured bits?
If you don't have feathers or pasta pieces for Step 8, use cotton balls, cereal shapes, buttons, crumpled tissue, or small pebbles as alternative textured bits.
Why are my textured pieces falling off and how do I fix it?
If pieces keep falling off after Step 8, press each item onto the glue for a few seconds as instructed, switch to a stronger craft glue or PVA instead of a glue stick, and follow Step 9 by letting the collage dry completely on a flat surface.
How can I adapt the activity for different ages?
For preschoolers, simplify Steps 4–8 by pre-drawing bold designs and pre-tearing large fabric/foil pieces and using a non-toxic glue stick, while older kids can add fine pencil details in Step 4 and layer small textured bits from Step 6 for complexity.
How can we make the collage more special or long-lasting?
To enhance the project, paint a background before Step 4, stitch or hot-glue heavier items after Step 9 for durability, add glitter or a title, and photograph the finished piece to share on DIY.org in Step 10.
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Facts about mixed-media art for kids
✨ Aluminium foil is shiny, malleable, and recyclable—small foil pieces can catch light and make collage elements pop.
🎨 Collage was popularized by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the early 1900s when they started pasting paper and fabric onto paintings.
🪶 Feathers are made of keratin—the same protein as hair and nails—so they add soft, natural texture to art.
🧵 Some woven textiles are over 5,000 years old, and fabric scraps are a classic upcycling material for creative art projects.
🍝 There are hundreds of pasta shapes around the world, and tiny shapes like macaroni or orzo make crunchy, fun collage pieces.
How do you make a textured collage by gluing unusual materials onto artwork?
What materials do I need for a textured collage using feathers, pasta, fabric scraps, and foil?
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