COLLAGRAPHY FOR KIDS

 In its simplest terms, a collagraph is a print of a collage. If you're going to use a press it will be best to build your collage on mat board or some other flat, sturdy material. Mat board was used for the image display here.

Unused collagraph plate with mod podge coating.

 You can use yarn, paper clips, bubble wrap, and other odd ball materials to build your collagraph, but we kept ours simple and built them using only thin cardboard. Cereal boxes and other food boxes are a perfect weight and a great way to recycle. They're thin enough for even first and second graders to cut.

Make sure to carefully glue every edge and corner so that it stays put. You can place heavy books on top to be sure. Use quality glue if you can.

 After you finish gluing your image it is important to apply a protective coat to the plate (the plate is your collagraph image on board). Mod podge or watered down glue (not washable glue!) works well for this. The coating will allow you to make multiple prints without losing pieces of the image by way of usage. 

Inked collagraph plate ready to be printed.

Ink it up with printing ink or a substitute and run it through your press. If you don't have a press, wooden spoons are the perfect tool to make your print by hand.

Collagraph plate and print.

After you are finished making all the prints you want, cover the plate with heavy foil to make an aluminum foil relief print. I will post that as a different project later on.

Different plates for collagraphs made by K's and 1st grade.

 Here are some plates that Kindergarten through Second grade made. They have not been printed but have been coated with a protective spray and are ready to go.

Robots!