Paper Mosaic Art Using Recycled Materials

Today we will be creating mosaic art out of recycled paper! This mosaic art is a great opportunity to upcycle any old notebooks you may have, or newspapers you barely look at! It is also a chance to show your artistic prowess and skills to your family and friends, and gift them a handmade art piece that is both personalized and sustainable.

If you're not familiar with mosaic art, it is art that is created using small pieces of many materials such as glass, or paper. They are usually created with bright colors and include images that can range from nature to people.

Let's get started!

All supplies needed for an art piece using paper are as follows:

1. Recycled Paper (Newspaper, Notebooks, Discarded Paper)
2. Pencil/Pen/Marker
3. Cardboard (for base)
4. Scissors
5. Glue
6. Paint/Colored Markers
7. Some Free Time (Aroud

Start by thinking of ideas for what you want your mosaic art piece to be and begin sketching out a design. It is important to keep in mind this should be a more simpler design that has clear outlines. For example, flowers, a landscape setting, or a heart are good designs for this craft. More detailed and complex images such as faces and bodies are still possible, however they will take longer to complete and are tricker to put together due to the complexity. You can still do it, it just might take you a bit longer than the simpler designs.

Gather recycled paper materials for your mosaic craft. Recycled paper materials include old magazines, newspapers, gift wrapping, textbooks, notebook paper, and any other unused paper. Instead of throwing all of this away in the trash, we are going to be reusing them to better foster sustainability in our own homes.

Outline and make a beginning sketch on a separate piece of paper or sketchbook using pencil. Outline where you expect certain colors to go. Mistakes are okay!

Choose a color scheme to stick with for your design. Whether you want to stick with the colors originally in the paper you choose or want to color the paper yourself, it is important to plan out what colors you will use to make the artwork visually appealing. Since you already created your design, if you want to change the colors in the paper, this is when you would do so.

Once your sketch is done, transfer the design onto the base by following the initial sketch closely. It's important to have a solid base to put your artwork on. A solid base would be either cardboard, or canvas. If those are not available, you can use a sheet of paper but it might be a bit flimsy.

Using the recycled paper from earlier that was collected, cut them into small pieces. There should be some forethought before cutting into the papers, as you should choose whether you want to cut the pieces into squares, triangles, or random shapes. The pieces you cut will be put back together to make your mosaic art, so make sure to keep track of them.

Using the cut pieces assemble the art work into a finalized version. Follow the design template made earlier and make sure when you are assembling it you are planning for gaps between the pieces, as these gaps make it seem like a real mosaic.

After assembling the pieces, if you are content with the arrangement, begin gluing the pieces onto the base. Glue each piece one by one to keep everything neat and together. Make sure to glue each piece with gaps between each other.

Use a black marker and outline the sections of the design that you want to appear cleaner or add a bit of contrast within the design.

Now, rejoice! You have just finished your mosaic artwork using materials found around your house! Go ahead and display your artwork wherever you see fit. Or, gift it to a family member or friend as a nice handcrafted gift.