How to make an Inspiration Board

There are basically two ways to make your inspiration board.

The first is using either poster board or something similar, and decorating it with photos, magazine cut-outs, ribbons, stamps, etc. that you cut and paste (literally) onto the board.

The second is using photoshop or a similar program to cut and paste photos, phrases, etc. into a digital collage. This is the method that I prefer, because it's much easier to upload a digital photo to show off than a 20 x 30 inch poster!

This is my 'Red Decor' inspiration board. The red really makes me want to go out and get things done!

Making your inspiration board using some sort of photo-editing software is really easy, even if you're not very computer savvy.

Step 1. Choose File > New to create a new blank page

Step 2: Insert your first image onto the blank page. I usually have my images saved onto my computer, but you can also use images from the internet.

You can make the image bigger or smaller by clicking on the image and dragging the corners to the size you want. Move the image around on the page until you find a position that you like.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you have all of the images you want.

Step 4: Click edit. Then click Arrange. This will lock all of the images together so that you can upload it or move it to another folder without the images moving around, and so on.

Step 5: Stand back and admire your work! Your inspiration board is complete. Now you can use it as your computer wallpaper, email it to your friends, or put it on your lens!

Above is my 'Creations' inspiration board. These are my own little pieces of artwork that I like to look at to remind myself of how much my art has changed and improved. You can see more of my work at jellyBgreen.etsy.com

A popular theme right now with inspiration boards is WEDDINGS. You can see these all over the web, and frequently highlighted on many of the wedding blogs out there.

Even if you're not getting married, they're really neat to look at because a lot of these women are VERY creative with their boards. Some are more 'works of art' than simple inspiration boards.

Not everyone has photoshop or similar software on their computer. In addition, these programs can be pretty expensive. If you just want to play around with making your own inspiration boards, or you're on a tight budget, then you should consider Paint.NET.

This is the program that I use for all of my photo-editing and collages. But, the best part is that it's FREE!

Just click on the Paint.Net logo, or go to www.getpaint.net