With the winter coming to an end and spring approaching, seniors are heading off to college soon.
While most seniors, including myself, ar feeling anxious, there is also a lot of excitement in the air as we choose the colleges we will be attending and prepare to embark on this journey.
When I first decided which college I would be attending, I was thrilled and instantly scrambled to purchase T-Shirts, hats, mugs, and practically all the merch I could find!
Eager to show my school spirit, I did more research, and that was when I stumbled upon Elle Sneddon’s collage Instagram, @ellescomputercollages, which allows students to purchase custom-made college themed collages.
After browsing Elle’s feed, I found that it didn’t stop there. The Instagram also showcased volleyball and fashion-themed collages.
This instantly piqued my interest and led me to further explore other emerging collage businesses. Senior Elle Sneddon, and sophomore Meghan Sechan have both created their own collage businesses, which allow customers to pick a theme and customize personal collages based on their interests or hobbies.
Elle’s inspiration to begin her very own collage business came about when she started the college application process. “I got super excited at the prospect of going to some of these colleges, so I created a collage of my favorite school, and my friends liked it,” she said. “Now I create collages for friends, people who find my social media account, and even small businesses!”
When creating her collages, Elle uses multiple online websites to get the job done. “It’s pretty simple,” Elle said. “It takes a while, especially to get all the edits on the collage websites without the background.”
Elle further explained the creation process. “I find photos and fun edits and take the background off the photos,” she said. “That’s typically the hardest part because a lot of the photos I use have to be personally edited. Then, it’s all about putting everything together.”
Elle has received enthusiasm from her peers regarding her collage business. “I’ve had a lot of great customers,”she said.
One of Elle’s favorite customers was Northeast Volleyball Club. “Creating a collage for the Northwest Volleyball Club was an incredible experience because instead of having a college-style collage, it was inspired by volleyball,” Elle said. “Creating this collage has to lead me to make other collages that aren’t just based around college. This has allowed me to branch out to new customers.”
Elle emphasized how crucial it is to communicate with the customer to cater to their needs. “Something super important is asking the client some personal questions so I can tailor the collage to them.”
With the second semester beginning, Elle is ready for more, “I expect a lot more orders to come in once more people start to commit to a college,” she said. “Also, now being a second-semester senior, I will have a lot more time on my hands to get more creative and start to create more trendy collages to print out and put in certain rooms.”
Elle advises everyone interested in creating their own business to go for it! “One piece of advice I would give is to do what you’re passionate about,” she said. “Then, you won’t think of it as work. It ends up being a fun escape from reality.”
Elle, however, is not the only student who has created a collage business. Sophomore Meghan Sechan has also created her own business.
To reach a wider audience and sell more collages, Meghan has begun advertising on her collage-based Instagram handle @megs_.collages.
So far, Meghan has had a lot of customers. “So far, I’ve sold collages to both New Canaan students and some students who attend boarding school who typically hang their custom-made collages in their dorm rooms!” she said.
Before beginning these collages, Meghan typically establishes a color scheme. “I first determine the color the person I’m making the collage for wants,” Meghan said. “I next find all the pictures I need and print them out. Finding pictures that go well together and using different size pictures are key steps when creating the perfect collage.”
Meghan further explained the creation process. “I use a large or small board and glue the pictures to it,” She said. “I rearrange the pictures a lot until I think they look good together. I finish by coating the collage with a glass top.”
Meghan encourages other students to explore their passions and gives advice to those interested in creating their own collage business. “ Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and explore your creative side!” she said.
