Use rubber stamps to apply a recurring element on your collage. Cut a piece of cardboard and create a collage using magazine cutouts, colored paper, fabrics, thick layers of tempera paint mixed with white glue or other items you want to include. Buy a rubber stamp with an image that works with your collage and stamp your artwork using different colored inks. You can also carve your own stamps using a rubber eraser and a cutter, but bear in mind that the image will be reversed when stamped on paper.
The embossing technique may be used on fabrics or paper, which can be placed on a mixed media collage next to other materials. Iron your fabrics prior to embossing them. Use embossing powder and pigment inks. Apply the pigment ink on a stamp and apply it to the paper or fabric. Sprinkle some embossing powder and warm up the area using a heat tool. The powder will melt. Allow the material to dry and glue it on your collage.
Choose a theme or the main color for you mixed media collage and find a page in magazines that would be suitable to use as your background. If you make a larger collage, find several pages that have similar colors and glue them on a cardboard. Decide on the materials you want to use. You may base the choice of materials on the theme of the collage or on your personal preferences. For example, if you choose spring as your theme, you may use pieces of fabric, pressed flowers, paints and magazine cutouts of flowers or green grass. Brainstorming may also help you find a few items to glue on your collage.
A mixed media collage is not limited to a flat surface, so you can experiment by stacking materials to create a 3-D collage. Use materials such as newspapers, wire, air-dry clay, glass, cans, buttons, coins, beads or textiles. Prepare a sketch of your collage and gather the materials you want to use. Create a wire frame and apply the elements of the collage in the order you establish. You can connect the materials of your 3-D collage using a strong adhesive or tape. If you use tape, cover it with clay or paper. For another idea for a 3-D collage, make a papier-mache figurine and apply fabrics, paints and magazine cutouts.