How to Make a Collage on Pinterest With Cutouts

Collages are one of Pinterest's more playful tools. You cut out a lamp from one Pin, a rug from another, add a photo of your own sofa and suddenly you've got a mood board for a room you haven't decorated yet. I love them for planning outfits, interiors and product flat lays, and they're a fun way for creators and small brands to show how things go together.

Collages are still part of Pinterest, built into the main app and website. Here's how to make one on each, using the steps from Pinterest's help centre, how cutouts work, and how remixing lets other people build on your design.

Making a collage on Pinterest in the app

The phone and tablet app is where collages feel most natural, since you can tap and drag pieces around with your finger:

1. Open the Pinterest app and log in.
2. Tap the plus icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select the collage icon, then Collage.
4. In the collage composer, start a new collage, open a draft, or start with a template.
5. Tap the plus icon in the composer to add pieces. You can browse suggested Pins and cutouts, search Pinterest, open your saved Pins by board, or upload from your device with the image or camera icon.
6. Open a Pin, tap the part you'd like, then tap Add (or Edit to adjust the selection).
7. Arrange and edit your pieces, then tap Next at the top-right to add details and publish.

From the Next screen you can also save a draft, download the collage or share it elsewhere.

Making a collage on Pinterest from a computer

1. Log in to Pinterest in your browser.
2. Click the square-plus icon in the left-side navigation and select Collage. On a business account, click the hamburger icon at the top-left and select Create collage, or click Create on your profile and choose Collage.
3. Click the sticker-image icon at the bottom of the screen to pick content from tabs such as More ideas, Your boards, Image uploads and Drafts.
4. Add a whole Pin with the plus icon on its corner, or open the Pin, move the cropper over the part you want and click Add cutout.
5. Rearrange your layers, which appear on the left, and use the collage tools.
6. Click Next, add your details and select Publish.

How cutouts work in a Pinterest collage

Cutouts are the heart of a collage. They're the pieces you lift out of a Pin, like a single chair from a room photo. Pinterest's help describes a handful of ways to shape them:

• The Select tool picks out objects in an area for you, and you drag a corner to resize the selection.
• Add and Erase let you refine the edges by hand. On a phone, pinch to zoom in for detail.
• Shapes give you cutouts in preset shapes and sizes.
• On a phone, tap and hold a cutout to duplicate it, delete it or save it as its own Pin.

You can also add filters or borders, resize, crop and rotate cutouts, and undo anything you don't like.

Pinterest collage tools for text, drawing and backgrounds

Tool	What it does
Draw	Sketch or write notes in different colours
Text	Add words with a choice of fonts and sizes
Photos and Camera	Make cutouts from your own photos or a new picture
Background	Tap empty space to change the background colour
Layers	Hold and drag to reorder, or use the trash-can icon to remove one

I'd keep text short and bold. A collage is a picture first, and a few words like a room name or a season are usually enough.

Remixing someone else's Pinterest collage

Some collages show a Remix option at the bottom-right. Remixing lets you start from another person's design and swap in your own pieces. Pinterest's help says the original creator decides whether remixing is allowed, and a published remix tags the original collage and creator at the bottom, so credit stays visible.

• In the app, open the collage composer and tap Remix a collage or Start with a template, find a collage and tap Use.
• To change a piece, tap a cutout, tap Swap and pick a new Pin or cutout. Choose Keep original shape to hold the same outline and size.
• On a computer, open a published collage from the Collages section and click Remix collage.

Controlling remixes and edits on your Pinterest collage

If you'd rather nobody remixed your work, you can switch it off. Open your published collage, select the ellipsis icon, choose Edit Pin and turn Enable remixing on or off (in the app it sits under Collage settings).

Plan your design before you publish. Pinterest's help says that once a collage is published, you can only edit minor details such as the title and the remix setting. In the app, you can add a published collage to a new draft through Edit Pin and work on it again from there.

Pinterest collage ideas for small businesses and creators

• Product styling: show one product with a few complementary items so people picture it in use.
• Seasonal looks: a holiday table, a summer outfit or a back-to-school desk.
• Before and after: pair your own photos with ideas you're aiming for.
• Use your own product photos for cutouts wherever you can, so the collage leads back to your work.

If you're building collages into a bigger plan, my guide to learning Pinterest marketing from the ground up sets out the basics, and my study of how one brand wins on Pinterest shows how creative formats fit in.

If you can't find the Pinterest collage option

Pinterest's help says its design tools may not be available for all devices, and availability on the web, iPhone and Android is still expanding. If you can't see Collage, update the app, check the plus icon menu again, and try the website if your phone doesn't show it. On a business account, look under the hamburger icon instead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a collage on Pinterest?

In the app, tap the plus icon, select the collage icon and Collage, add cutouts or Pins, arrange them and tap Next to publish. On a computer, click the square-plus icon in the left-side navigation and select Collage.

Can I use my own photos in a Pinterest collage?

Yes. You can upload from your device or use the camera, then make cutouts from your own pictures.

Can I edit a Pinterest collage after publishing?

Only minor details, such as the title and the remix setting. In the app you can add it to a new draft through Edit Pin and keep working on it.

Can I stop people remixing my collage?

Yes. Open the collage, choose Edit Pin and turn Enable remixing off.

Why can't I see the collage option on Pinterest?

Pinterest says its design tools may not be available on every device yet. Update the app, check the plus icon menu, or try the website.