Tutorial: Dream Layered Collage

This month the team at Just Another Button Company featured the Twilight Fabric collection from 1 Canoe 2 in their projects for the Button Lover’s Club: Words with Buttons Dream subscription box. The Twilight collection is also available in papercrafting products including pattern paper, printed and foiled die cuts, stickers, and washi tape. I thought it would be fun to take the inspiration from the fabric projects created for the club and interpret them in paper. I created 2 cards (you can see those on the JABC blog today) and this 3D Layered Monogram Collage which I will show you how to make in the tutorial below.

My inspiration for this piece is the Dream Button Monogram Pillow that Rachel designed using my Button Block Alphabet pattern. She really loves the Twilight collection and is using it for some decor accents in her house. I wanted to create something she could display so I created a dimensional collage that fits in a shadowbox frame.

Since the collage will be displayed in a shadowbox frame, it leaves lots of room to add multiple layers and dimensional embellishments like buttons from this month’s club box. Having multiple layers may make this look like a complicated project to create, but it is really very easy!

Dream Layered Collage Tutorial:

Begin by cutting a piece of foam core to fit the inside of your frame (my frame, not shown, is 8″ x 8″). You could use a heavy piece of cardboard, chipboard, or mat board for the base also. I prefer foam core since it adds more depth. Cut a piece of pattern paper to match. Adhere the paper to the foam core to create the base layer.

Brush the edges lightly with a brown ink using an ink blending tool. Adding ink helps to add gives the edges a finished look and helps to add definition to edges.

Cut a second piece of pattern paper to 6″ x 6″. Cut a heavy piece of cardstock, chipboard, or mat board to match. You could use a second piece of foam core here, but I like to mix the thicknesses of the different layers so that they have more variety.

If you are making a different size than the one shown, you will want this second square layer to be about 1″ smaller than the first base layer on each side (the first layer is 8″x 8″, the second is 6″ x 6″, which creates a 1″ border on each side when the two are layered together).

Adhere the paper and cardstock layers together. Use an ink blending tool to lightly brush brown ink along the edges of the assembled piece.

Because I used a heavy cardstock on this layer, I was able to add a border of machine stitching through the assembled layers. If your machine won’t sew through this type of material, you can sew on the pattern paper layer before adhering it to the cardstock.

Place adhesive foam tape along the edges and in the center on the back side of the second layer. Since the base of this layer is not as strong, be sure to add adhesive foam tape in the center for extra support.

Handy Tip:

When adhering items together with adhesive foam tape, they stick together pretty quickly and don’t allow for much adjustment. If you are like me, I never get things centered on the first try. To fix that, run a glue stick over your adhesive foam tape before assembling your layers. The glue stick will “grease” the adhesive foam tape and allow you to move your layer around while you decide on the correct placement. It will not affect the final bond of the adhesive foam tape. If anything, it makes it a bit stronger!

Place the second smaller square layer on top of the first. Place it in the center so that you have an equal border on each side.

Print out or trace your desired monogram from the Button Block Alphabet pattern on printer paper.

Cut a piece of pattern paper and a piece of foam core slightly larger than your letter. Adhere the pattern paper and foam core together. Use a removable tape runner to lightly stick the letter to the front of the paper/foam core piece.

Use a craft knife and ruler to cut our the letter along the edge of the printed letter. After cutting, simply peel away the pattern and rub any residual adhesive away with your finger.

Use an ink blending tool to lightly brush brown ink onto the edges of your letter.

Lay stacks and layers of buttons and other embellishments on the letter to decide on placement. When you have decided on button placement, tack them in place with a small drop of iCraft Mixed Media Adhesive on the back of each one. (Yes, you can glue the buttons together in stacks with this glue!)

When the glue is dry, place the letter on a foam piercing pad. Use a piercing tool to pierce through each button hole, creating a hole through the paper and foam core layers. Use a coordinating thread and needle to sew each one in place. Stitch through all the layers.

Lay your letter on the base layers to decide on placement. Experiment with placing different die cut embellishments under the edges of the letter. When you have deduced, set the letter aside and adhere the die cuts in place. Be sure to lightly brush the edges of the die cuts with ink before adhering them.

Add adhesive foam strips to the back of the letter. “Grease” the adhesive foam with a glue stick like before. Place the letter in the center of the second square layer. Add additional die cut embellishments to the top of the letter as desired.

Dream Layered Collage Details:

If you decide later to add additional layers of buttons you can “faux sew” them in place by sewing thread through the holes and then glueing them in place with the Mixed Media Adhesive.

When you adhere die cuts, try leaving the edges free of adhesive so that they can be shaped and curled up off the edge of your surface. This is an easy way to add dimension to them.

The love die cut was solid inside the loops of the letters. I used a craft knife to remove some of the white paper in the loops so that my monogram would show through those spaces.

Isn’t all that dimension so fun? I love how easy it is! And I love that you can create a personalized piece of home decor that is packed full of dimension, fun embellishments, and your personality in only an hour or so!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and hope you will give the project a try! Be sure to hop over to the JABC blog today to see the two cards I made to match.

And then tomorrow stop back by here to check out my FREE wool appliqué pattern of the month! It is a super fun project that you won’t want to miss!