The ordinary sticky note is used to make to-do lists, take notes, set reminders and sometimes scribble a quick doodle. Brown Bag Films Manchester have been transforming this everyday item into impressive artwork that is anything but ordinary, as Tony Wilson said: “This is Manchester we do things differently here”.

It’s been a long-standing tradition here in the studio to turn sticky notes into mini works of art. These have been saved over the years and curated into a framed display which never fails to stop visitors in their tracks.

The beauty of this display is that it has been formed by current and past staff members and is still growing. Even though these canvases are small they show a lot of character. The sticky notes are a mish-mash of styles, sizes, and topics, from self-portraits to fan-art. 

Our Manchester studio is located at The Sharp Project, a 200,000 sq ft refurbished warehouse that was converted into unique office spaces.

Our meeting rooms, which are converted shipping containers, have become the perfect gallery space for our other form of sticky note art. Our current creation is made up 1,234 sticky notes and is a tribute to the Pac-Man Ghost!

Watch this space as we'll be updating our artwork regularly and posting on our social channels.

Brown Bags top tips in creating your own sticky note masterpiece…

1. Measure your space, the best designs are ones that use the space available. You don’t want to make a great design only to realise you don’t have enough room for your sticky notes.

2. Plan your design on a grid there's a great website called Make 8 Bit Art which will allow you to plan out your design in advance.

3. The problem with sticky notes is getting them to stick. Make sure you peel side to side and not from the bottom, that way the sticky note won’t curl and will stick to your flat surface.

4. Invest in some interesting in colours. Contrasting colours will really make your design stand out!