Landscapes and seascapes made good subjects for mixed-media projects because the texture and 3-D aspect that various media add to your project can bring the landscape to life. You can find a landscape photo in a magazine and cut it out, or find one on the Internet and print it. It should be colorful and include 3-D objects such as trees, flowers and buildings. Mount the image on watercolor paper and use watercolor paints or pencils and even items such as cloth and bark to continue the image outward. Drag colors onto the original image for further blending. Another technique for younger artists is to cut landscape elements (trees, water, animals) from construction paper and paste them on a larger piece of paper, then add details with watercolors or oil paints.
Homemade greeting cards lend themselves well to a mixed-media approach because you can adapt the media to the theme of the card. Start with a basic collage approach by cutting or tearing construction paper and gluing the pieces to cardstock. For example, you could use green and red paper for Christmas, and orange and black for Halloween. Create overlapping layers for a more tactile effect. Create textures relating to the occasion. For example, add small pieces of pine boughs for Christmas or twisted tissue to represent ghosts for Halloween. If the recipient is a sports fan, create a background of his team's colors and make a collage of cut-up sports cards of his favorite players. This approach also works well for party invitations.
Use household items or leftover craft items from previous projects to create mixed-media jewelry. Mix glass, stones, gems, metals and beads for a customized bracelet or necklace. Vary the colors and sizes to add more dimension and texture to the piece. Experiment with different combinations. When you have chosen your elements, string them together in a random fashion. Using things like doilies and pieces of drapes or tablecloths, add fringe and embroidery for more flair.
A mixed-media sculpture and can be as elaborate or simple as you want. This makes it well-suited for children. Have kids form animal shapes from crumpled newspaper and coat the shapes with glue. Or help kids shape chicken wire into animal forms then cover the wire with newspaper and paper-mache paste. Paint the sculptures and add beads or marbles for details such as eyes and noses. Use cotton balls or an old coat's lining for fur. You can even use colored toothpaste, which will harden and add texture to the piece.