Scrapbooks and collages are considered mixed media because they require several mediums such as photographs, ink, stickers, cut-out paper and relevant objects that capture a treasured memory or event. For a collage about a beach trip, you may glue some shells you collected onto the piece. For a wedding scrapbook, you may glue a dried flower from your bouquet onto the piece.
Certain paintings can be considered mixed media if atypical or non-painted items are incorporated into the piece. Mixed media paintings may include metal, natural items or other found items. For example, if a painting is conveying a woman in a forest, a mixed media artist may glue a piece of a real necklace on the woman and may glue small twigs onto the tree branches. The appeal to this painting technique is that it gives the illusion that the painting is 3D.
Some sculptures are considered mixed media artwork if they use several different mediums in their creation. A mixed media sculpture may use ceramics, wood, beads, paint, ink, tile, jewels, metal or other durable media. An example of a mixed media sculpture would be a ceramic sculpture of a man with encrusted tile coloring his suit, a metal watch and jewel eyes. The appeal to this type of sculpture is its detail, uniqueness, creativity and eclecticism.
Home decor can also be considered mixed media if artists have added on materials such as beads, cloth, wire and ribbon to make household items unique and add textures. The appeal to this type of mixed media is that regular household items can become creative and aesthetic pieces of art. For example, a mixed media artist may glue colored beads onto the base or neck of a glass and add a matching beaded cloth to the glass as a cover decoration.