Easy Fabric Collage Ideas

by Bette
(Wisconsic)

This easy fabric collage has a faux quilt look and was one of my fall craft projects. But you could use any theme or season. It actually uses designs from your leaf template page. It turned out really well so I wanted to share it.

I happened to have several pieces of fabric scraps around with a related color scheme, and patterns that would go together. If people didn't have it all on hand, maybe they could share fabric scraps with friends or a group.

Here are the materials I used:
Piece of board (i.e. masonite or art board).
Leaf template designs.
Large piece of fabric to glue on as the backround.
(Although the board could be painted with acrylics, instead).
Several kinds of fabric.
3D ("puffy") paint - I used black.
Fabric glue.
Spray adhesive also.
Black ribbon for the edges to create a "frame."
(A regular frame could be used too).
Picture hanger for back of board.

First, cut your background fabric to size.
Or paint the board with acrylics.
I used spray adhesive on both the board and back of the fabric.
Then place the fabric on carefully, and press and smooth it out from the center going out to the edges. You could probably use fabric glue spotted in many places on the back of the fabric instead.
Using the leaf templates, cut several shapes and sizes of leaves out of different fabrics.
Arrange them on the board different ways until you get them the way you want. I overlapped a few and put them in groupings, for a better design.
Glue them on with fabric glue.
Then I took the squirt 3D paint and outlined some of the shapes. And also drew on stems and veins down the middles of some leaves. This gave it a little more continuity with the lines.
Then I squirted on a few dots with the paint here and there, for extra decoration.

When it was all dry, I cut and glued ribbon along the sides to make a frame, since my piece of board was an odd size and didn't fit a standard frame. I think it would have looked nicer, though, if I'd used a standard sized art board that would have fit in a regular frame.

Lastly, I attached a hanger to the back (although when I photographed it, I had it in a little easel). So I'm going to hand it up in my home as part of my fall decorating. It was really fun and easy to make.

Editor's Note -- Thanks, Bette. This is a really nice use of our leaf templates! And here is the link to our leaf template page: Free Leaf Template and Pattern Ideas.