10 Items Usuable in Altered Art Projects

1: Coloring books: These make excellent altered book projects. Separate the book into ten equal sections, holding each section with a paper clip. Tear out every other section so, when the pages are manipulated, the book won't bulk out too much. Reserve the torn out pages for other art journal, altered book, collage and ATC projects.

2: Greeting cards: Using the greeting card as a base, add embellishments according to the theme you have in mind. It's an open playing field when it comes to altering these. In other words, be creative. You don't have to turn a Christmas card into another Christmas card. Turn it into whatever kind of card you need. If possible, reserve the envelope to use as a template for creating a new envelope for your new card.

3: Junk mail catalogs: There's a lot of opportunity for both collage work and altered book with with these. You can clip out pictures and text of interest to use in collage work. And, if the catalog is still fairly intact, you can turn it into an altered book. Add pieces of cardboard (a recycled food box works well for this) to the front and back covers to make it sturdier.

4: Light switch plates: Sometimes when you move into a new home or apartment, each room has a basic plastic switch plate. Rather than replacing each one and throwing them all away, consider altering them using wallpaper, paint, rubber stamps, adhered trinkets, pieces of wire and things like that. Consider each switch plate a small canvas and let your imagination run wild.

5: Match boxes: These little boxes are well known in the art community for making shrines. They can also be turned into miniature jewelery boxes and as embellishments to larger altered box projects. (for example, you might be altering a cigar box and would like to have small compartments within the lid.

6: Onion bag netting: I love using these in collages, backgrounds of scrapbook pages and altered book work. I've also used them as a background for ATCs and greeting cards. They're tricky to adhere, but I've found success using gel medium to get them to stick well. You have to use a considerable amount and let it dry unless you plan on layering.

7: Shopping fliers: These are great backgrounds for collage work in altered book, art journals, ATCs and some scrapbook layouts. When manipulated and embellished enough, you can't tell they're pages from a flier.

8: Faux credit cards or old shopping cards: I like using these to add interest to collages and art journal pages. I paint them, embellish them and alter them with ephemera. They also make handy templates for creating text boxes for journaling in scrapbooks and art journals. I've also found them useful in greeting cards.

9: Mail inserts: Alone, these can be turned into small altered books. Cut them up, fold them into signatures and staple your signatures together. Once you've assembled your mini-book, alter it as you would a regular altered book. Some mail inserts have interesting text and pictures, so they can also be used in collage work.

10: Ticket stubs: To some, these are considered bits of gold because they can be used to embellish so many different pieces of mixed media art. Collages, altered books, art journals, ATCS, shrines, shadow boxes, scrapbook layouts and mixed media paintings are just a sampling of where you can use ticket stubs.