Transform Your Art Journal with These 7 Collage Ideas
Text reads "Transform your Art Journal with these 7 Collage Ideas" over a red tape. The background has lots of ephemera and stamps, and there is a moon sticker on top of the red as well as a goose sticker.
Here’s the thing, when you’re dedicated to your creative practice and you’re making art every single day, some days you just don’t really feel that creative. Those are the days where you HAVE to push through and honor yourself and your practice and create art anyway. For you! That’s why I put together this list of seven collage prompts for when you just need some direction.
What are some good ideas for collage art projects?
You’re a dedicated artist and you’ve got a studio full of the supplies you need. Your sketchbook is full of collages you’ve made in the past, but today you need a little extra direction. You need some ideas for what to make–I got you! Check out the list below for collage prompts that can help you push through on those days that you are looking for something really specific to make.
Self-Portrait: Create a collage that represents who you are today. Include elements that reflect your personality, interests, and dreams.
One of the most personal collage prompts out there: a self-portrait made entirely from images, textures, and symbols that reflect who you are today. You can take this in so many directions—representational, by creating a face or body that resembles your own using torn paper or layered images, or non-representational, by expressing your identity through color, texture, shape, and metaphor. The goal isn’t to make it “look like you” but to let it feel like you.
Start by tuning in. How do you feel in this moment, this season? What parts of yourself are asking to be seen, honored, or explored? Then gather materials—photos, colors, patterns, words—that resonate with your personality, interests, and dreams. Maybe you include something playful to represent your sense of humor, or soft, dreamy colors to reflect your introspective side. Maybe you collage in symbols that hint at the future you’re reaching for.
There’s no wrong way to do this. Your self-portrait can be bold and messy or calm and quiet—just like people are. When you’re finished, take time to sit with it. What does it reveal about who you are right now? What surprised you? This prompt is a beautiful way to check in with yourself and give shape to your inner world.
2. Gratitude: Make a collage of things you’re grateful for today. This can be people, places, experiences, or simple pleasures.
This is an excellent use of a creative day! You can go through your paper materials and ephemera quickly and just pull out those elements that you feel grateful for. This is a prompt that you could also do with old family photos that maybe didn’t make it into the album because someone wasn’t looking at the camera, or candids. Pull out your scissors and cut them out and add them to your artwork.
If you’ve ever been into scrapbooking (which since you are a collage artist, I’m willing to bet that you have been!) then I know you’ve got plenty of old photographs laying around that you can use for this.
From the Tiny House Collection by Andi Garbarino
3. Cultural Heritage: Create a collage that celebrates your cultural heritage. Include symbols, colors, and images that represent your background.
I love this prompt!! This is one of my favorite prompts—creating a collage that celebrates your cultural heritage. It’s such a meaningful way to explore where you come from and how those roots shape your identity today. I’ve explored this through my Tiny House series, building little visual homes filled with symbols, colors, and imagery from my family’s story. You can do something similar—think about your ancestry, your hometown, the language(s) you speak, foods you love, family traditions, or even heirlooms you grew up around. Gather imagery that reflects those things: patterns from traditional textiles, maps, recipes, flags, or symbols that feel personal and sacred to you.
As you begin cutting and arranging, reflect on the question: What have I inherited, and what do I want to carry forward? Sometimes, our heritage is something we embrace fully, and other times, it’s complex and layered. All of that belongs in your collage too. Let it be honest. Let it be beautiful. This kind of creative self-exploration can open the door to healing, pride, and deeper understanding—not just of yourself, but of your place in the larger human story. The more we know where we come from, the more intentionally we can decide where we’re going.
“Dreams of Wild Eden” Andi Garbarino, 2019
4. Inner Child: Connect with your inner child through collage. Use playful and whimsical elements.
Tapping into your inner child through collage can be such a sweet and healing practice. I like to approach this prompt with a sense of curiosity and play—no pressure, just exploration. Start by gathering images that feel joyful, silly, or nostalgic: think glitter, cartoons, bold colors, or anything that would’ve lit you up as a kid. This is your chance to break the “rules” a little and let whimsy take the lead. Try adding elements that feel tactile or textural—puffy stickers, torn paper, doodles, or even something that sparkles. You might be surprised at what memories resurface or what little joys you uncover. Sometimes I write a note to my younger self right on the page, or collage a scene that feels like a safe and happy place. Let yourself laugh, be messy, and follow whatever feels fun. It’s less about what the final collage looks like, and more about how it makes you feel. The ultimate prize of this kind of work is reconnecting with the part of you that’s always been there, waiting to be seen.
2019 Birthday Vision Board, Andi Garbarino
5. Vision Board: Create a vision board collage of your goals and aspirations for the future. Include words and images that inspire you.
Vision boards are one of my favorite creative tools for reflecting, dreaming, and setting intentions. I’ve made them solo and with friends, and there's something powerful about doing them in community—especially when prayer and meaningful conversation are involved. These days, I love starting my year with a few vision board pages in my art journal. Making more than one can help reveal different layers of what’s stirring beneath the surface. Don’t worry about making it perfect—just gather your materials, take a moment to pause or pray, and begin. Cut out any images and words you’re instinctively drawn to without overthinking. Then, arrange and glue them down, letting meaning emerge as you go. Sometimes a poem or prayer comes together from the words I’ve collected. I always take time to journal and reflect afterward, which helps me better understand what’s coming up. Whether you're crafting one or a few, vision boards are a beautiful way to listen to your inner voice and bring a little clarity to the season ahead.
6. Color Explosion: Choose a single color and create a monochromatic collage. Explore different shades and textures within that color.
Choose a single color and let it completely take over your page. Monochromatic collages give you permission to go deep instead of wide, exploring all the subtle variations and textures that exist within one hue. Start by picking a color that speaks to you and where you are at in your life right now. It might reflect your mood, your energy, or something you’re craving more of. Then gather everything you can find in that color family: magazine clippings, fabric scraps, painted paper, old envelopes, ribbon, even bits of packaging or thread or receipts or junk mail or….whatever!
Look for contrast—pair soft with rough, matte with shiny, saturated with pale. You might be surprised by how expressive a single color can be when you let it shine on its own!
This is also a great opportunity to slow down and notice the little things. Maybe you discover that warm golds feel empowering, or that layering soft blues brings you a sense of calm. Trust your instincts and don’t overthink it. Let the process be more about feeling the color than designing the perfect layout. When you finish, take a moment to reflect: What does this color represent and hold for me right now? You might just learn something about yourself through the lens of just using one color.
“May This Bring You Joy” Andi Garbarino, 2022
7. Inspiring Message: Collage around a favorite quote, poem or song. Use images that enhance the meaning of the words.
There’s something so powerful about building a collage around words that already hold meaning for you. This prompt invites you to choose a favorite quote, poem, or lyric—something that stirs your soul—and use it as the anchor for your page. You can write the words out by hand, print them out, or cut them from magazines and books. Then gather images that feel like those words. They don’t need to be literal—sometimes an abstract shape or texture says more than a picture ever could. Think about color, movement, and mood. What does this quote feel like in visual form?
I love how this kind of collage gives you space to be both artist and curator. Sure, you’re making something pretty, but you’re also giving your chosen words a new body, a new way to speak. As you arrange your materials, let the meaning expand. What stands out to you? What surprises you? This is a wonderful prompt to return to again and again—because as we grow, the messages that inspire us grow, too.
SO there you have it! Seven collage ideas for when your art practice needs a little extra inspiration. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks for collaging, art journaling or vision boarding, you can also check out these posts:
Andi Garbarino, Photographed by Diana Levine
Andi Garbarino
Andi Garbarino is an American Mixed Media Artist living in the UK. She’s passionate about building community and facilitating space for folks to get in touch creatively with their intuition. Andi’s artwork whimsically portrays the full spectrum of emotions of the human existence.
Here’s where else you can find me: