Emoticon Mosaic: Easy Magazine Collage Art Project for Kids

If your kids love emojis and you love a low-prep homeschool art project, this one is going to be your new favorite. Emoticon Mosaic is colorful, creative, and uses materials you probably already have at home.

We’ll take old magazines, catalogs, or even colorful junk mail and turn them into a recycled art activity in the shape of a simple emoticon—think smiley face, winky face, or heart eyes. It’s like recycling and making art combined to make a really happy mashup.

Why You and Your Kids Will Love the Emoticon Mosaic Project

• It’s budget-friendly. You just need paper, glue, scissors, and magazines.

• It works for all ages. Younger kids can keep it simple, older kids can add extra details or try more expressive faces.

• It sneaks in creative thinking. Choosing colors and patterns from random magazine pages is a great exercise in observation and problem-solving.

This easy mosaic project for kids is perfect for a rainy day, a homeschool co-op art class, or one of those “Mom needs something open-and-go” mornings.

Simple Supplies for a Colorful Collage

• Old magazines, catalogs, or colorful junk mail

• Scissors

• Glue stick or liquid glue

• Cardstock or thick paper

• Pencil & eraser

• Optional: Black marker for outlining

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making an Emoticon Mosaic

Step 1: Pick Your Emoticon
Choose a simple emoji design—smiley face, winky face, surprised face, or heart eyes. Big, bold shapes are easiest for this type of magazine collage art for kids.

Step 2: Sketch the Shape
On your cardstock, lightly draw the outline of your emoticon. Include the big shapes for the eyes and mouth, but keep it simple—you’ll be filling them with paper pieces.

Step 3: Hunt for Colors in Old Magazines
Flip through your magazines and snip out sections of colors and patterns that match your emoticon. Yellow for the face, black or dark colors for the mouth, bright red or pink for hearts—you get the idea. Don’t worry about perfect shapes; irregular edges give the collage art more character.

Step 4: Fill in the Mosaic
Glue your pieces down one section at a time, slightly overlapping so there aren’t gaps. Work until your entire emoticon is covered.

Step 5: Add Final Details
Outline your design with a black marker if you want extra contrast. Stand back and admire your masterpiece—it’s part art, part puzzle, part personality!

Tips for a Successful Mosaic Art Lesson

• Mix patterns with solid colors for extra visual interest.

• If you don’t have magazines, try construction paper scraps, tissue paper, or painted paper from past projects.

• For younger artists, pre-cut larger chunks of color so they can glue without tricky snipping.

Perfect for Homeschool, Co-op, or Classroom Use

This project is quick to set up, easy to adapt for different ages, and a great way to integrate creative projects for kids into your week. It also teaches design thinking, fine motor skills, and the joy of creating something from recycled materials.

Try More Creative Projects with Hello Homeschool Art

If you make an Emoticon Mosaic, I’d love to see it! Share it with me on socials and tag me @hellomsjes so I can cheer you on.

This homeschool art lesson is just one of the many open-and-go, confidence-building step-by-step video projects inside the Hello Homeschool Family Art Club. I make art lessons simple, fun, and doable—without making you hunt down 47 weird supplies.

Happy creating!
🎨 Ms. Jes