There’s certainly no shortage of cardboard in my life, and I’m certain many of you feel the same. At home and also at the office, I seem to be surrounded by it, which is why I try to reuse it as much and in as many ways as possible. Thankfully, putting together the winter 2026 issue of Somerset Studio, which featured a cardboard challenge, left me full of inspiration. It’s been a while since I created anything that served an actual purpose. With life as busy as it is, when I get the rare chance to make something, I tend to create something more of out necessity. I recently found myself with a pile of cardboard in my office, and a few minutes to spare, so I decided to create these little collages. For the first time in a while, I was able to just play and enjoy the process, and I was happy to make a little dent in my cardboard stash as well. To make these collages, first tear cardboard into several smaller pieces. Tear away the top layer to expose the corrugation. Dry-brush white acrylic paint onto the cardboard, and let dry. Pull some of the threads from a scrap of burlap, and apply texture paste to it. When dry, cut into smaller pieces. Cut images from the collage strips and edge with an ink pad. Layer the various pieces together, along with a piece of burlap, and adhere to the cardboard. If desired, tuck a dried flower in place
