How to Decorate a Door With Magazines

You can create a mosaic design for your door with just a few pages from a glossy magazine.

If you're looking for a clever way to recycle all of the old magazines and catalogs that seem to multiply in your home, creating a mosaic may be your answer. The art of mosaics is centuries old. You can emulate this ancient art form with the aid of a few glossy magazine pages. Dress up your front door with a mosaic "welcome" sign or decorate an entire bedroom door. Use your imagination to make a design that represents your personality.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board or other stiff material to use as backing
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glossy Magazines
• Glue
• Self-adhesive laminate

Instructions

Mosaic

1. Research mosaic patterns online or in art books to get inspired.

2. Draw your design on the poster board with a pencil. Separate the design or picture into sections. Label each section with the color to be filled in.

3. Use scissors to cut the backing into a complimentary shape to your design or picture. Hold it up to your door to ensure it fits the area.

4. Tear or use scissors to cut small pieces out of pictures from the magazines. Sort the pieces according to color.

5. Spread a small amount of glue on the back of a magazine piece. Place the piece in the appropriate color section. Repeat, leaving a small area between pieces to create a mosaic effect. Continue until your design is complete.

Laminate

1. Use a self-adhesive laminate to give your mosaic project a glossy finish and to protect your artwork. Cut a piece of laminate a minimum of one inch larger than your project.

2. Peel back two inches of the laminate backing along the left side edge. Gently lay the adhesive side of the laminate on the left outer-edge of your project. The laminate should extend slightly beyond your project's edge.

3. Place your left hand on the applied laminate to secure your project in place. Grasp the edge of the loose backing underneath the laminate with your right hand.

4. Gently tug the backing to remove it from the laminate. Use your left hand to smooth the laminate as you pull the backing off to prevent wrinkles and air bubbles.

5. Trim excess laminate, but leave enough to fold over the backing to seal your project completely. Mount your artwork on your door.

Tips & Warnings

• Clear contact paper may be used as an alternative to laminate. Contact paper may be less expensive and works well for larger projects.

References

• A Recycling Revolution: Recycle Crafts: Treasure From Trash
• Magazine Mosaics: Enviro-cycled Mosaic Art

Resources

• History World: History of Mosaic