I have been wanting to experiment with collages made from paper such as magazine pages
(just for color) but wonder what type of glue makes these work without “crinkling” (as paper does when wetted, heh).
I love the look of these “paper construct” images but don’t want to start out with a mess, lol.
Thanks for any tips!
Lynda Davison
Hi Lynda. I use Acrylic Matte Medium. My favorite brand for this is Utrecht. I use it by first brushing it on to the substrate, in an area bigger than the piece I’ll be putting on. Then I place the piece. Then I brush more medium over it, sealing it in place. If there are any wrinkles or air bubbles, I run my finger hard over it to smooth, then brush the medium again so you see brush marks instead of finger marks.
I learned from Jane Davies. Here’s a short video she made that shows some examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of4STrtLejo&feature=youtu.be
And if you like that, here are a bunch more of her videos:
http://janedaviesstudios.com/videos-and-tutorials/
Thanks Carol- and the video was great!
Yes be sure to work out the air bubbles. I let it dry under a piece of glass with a weight on it to hold it flat.
good idea…have used similar idea with decoupaging - thanks!
Thanks for the input, Jean! Do you put it under glass while it’s still wet? Or after it’s dry?
Actually I thought Mod Podge was the standard glue for collage? It’s great stuff if you want to use it as a sort ‘varnish’ as well, then you don’t have to be at all careful with how you use it. You just paste it on the back of the piece you are gluing, stick it down, then you can paste over the top as well. I never got any wrinkling with this method. You can paint over the top the dried Mod Podge with acrylics.
the problem I had with mod podge is in the handling of the papers (which are
rather flimsy magazine pages) fingers get sticky and then lift the color from
the papers as you place them; I’m talking lots of cut pieces to form a picture.
Could be I am just too messy, lol. 
love mod podge for firmer papers though
I see what you mean. What about pasting the Mod Podge first onto the base you’ll be working with, then glueing the dry magazine pieces onto it? You should be able to keep your fingers away from the glue in that case. Also with smaller pieces how about handling them with those plastic tweezers you can get?
good suggestions Jacqueline… thanks! wink:
For delicate papers that you want to stay flat, you might try an Avery acid free glue stick. Be sure to cover the substrare really well with the glue before adhering the paper. I find that the purple glue stick (which dries clear) is less gooey and the clear stick dries a little slower, so each has advantages. And get the larger glue stick, which has a cap that seals it pretty tight. The smaller sticks dry up quickly. Usually, though, I use Utrech matt gel. Like Carol, I learned this from Jane Davies. I have taken a few of her online classes and learned a lot from her. And she has created all those wonderful free videos!
Thanks…glue stick sounds good…less goo, lol
will check out the Avery one 
You can use Elmer’s all-purpose glue stick. With DIY paper crafts, I can target specific areas on the paper’s surface then attach another sheet of paper. It can permanently bond any type of paper with any texture, including cardboard and foam board.
With tissue paper we used Elmers…course the colors run a bit…