Updated: Jun 2, 2022
Unconventional is key here. Collages, especially the ones featuring bits of cut out images taken from every type of printed material available and then glued down in a particular way as to convey the artists intended message have been in practice since forever. Of course Harper only having ever made one collage thus far in her life would be psyched to start and finish this project in the old--fashioned way, I myself can’t make it thru another 2D assemblage. Which is why I decided to come up with a new twist to an otherwise forgone conclusion.
The purpose behind this activity is to help Harper recognize the letter M in every typeface, and there’s also a nice surprise element to this project for Harper as well.
So all you need to begin this project is:
1. Magazines, newspapers, etc.
2. Scissors ( age based for him or her).

Cut-outs complete, Now it’s time for the second part of this project, You’ll need to cover a piece of cardboard with whatever type of materials you want. You can cut-out any green you see In the magazines you already have out, use some green felt or both. Which Harper and I did, but really as with all our projects sky is the limit, you use whatever your, his or her little heart desires..
For the second part of this project, you’ll need the following items:
1. A piece of flat cardboard
2. Paper / Felt / etc. to cover the cardboard as it will serve as the landscape for your mountain to sit on. 3. Glue
4. Scissors

Landscape completed, we are now ready for our mountain. Harper and used bits of paper from magazines, an old piece of construction paper, a piece of green felt and some left over paper we painted green for a past dinosaur project to glue down for our landscape design. Once everything was glued down we let it dry over night.
Before starting this part you’ll need:
1. Hot Glue Gun
2. Long and short pop-sickle sticks
3. An X-Acto knife of sorts
Everything’s dry and your ready to begin constructing your Mountain. Were doing this with the help of pop-sickle sticks. To ensure a beautifully designed mountain, go ahead and figure out the circumference you want your mountain to be. Mark the measurement with a marker and now you have a guideline for the superficial incisions you’ll need to make into the cardboard. .For the maximum stability of your mountain range we’re going to add some hot-glue to the inside of each of the incisions you made…So glue Immediately followed by placing the popsicle stick into the flue. Hold the stick in place for at least 50 seconds, before continuing on to the next one.

With the first round of sticks firmly in place, we’re going to begin the second, and as Harper likes to say, It’s easy peasy, lemon squeezey! You‘ll want to use the long pop-sickle sticks again, attaching them right at the end with a dash of hot glue, as shown below.

Now that your mountain has taken shape, grab up your M’s and have fun making your 3-D collage:)

Keep on going until you have a mountain of M’s!

Since the mountain Harper visualizes when she hears the letter M is capped with snow…we cut white triangles and glued them around the top to give the snow cap feel. We gave the mountain a spin and Harper suggested that we decorate the landscape as well.

We rummaged through our art supplies and she pulled out the little green pom-poms along with some rhinestones she had and we went to work Creating some trees and bushes around her little mountain. There is no rhyme or reason right or wrong way to do this just have fun and go with it!