How to Make a Magazine Holder
Have you ever wondered what to do with all of those magazines around your home? Although it is very easy to discard those that you find obsolete or outdated, what about the ones that you still refer to for useful information? While you ponder these questions, new magazines continue to make their way into the house. Clutter seems inevitable...or is it? Here is a fun and easy project that will help you solve this common organizational problem once and for all. As an added bonus, you get the opportunity to recycle items that would otherwise be thrown away while you give your home a neat and well-ordered appearance. This project will only take a few minutes, and no power tools are needed.
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Things You'll Need
- Large, empty cereal boxes or powdered detergent boxes
- Craft knife (also known as an exacto knife)
- Spray paint or acrylic paint and brushes
- Glue or double-sided adhesive tape
- Craft paper or gift-wrapping paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Sandpaper
Instructions
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1
Draw an "x" 4 inches from the bottom right corner of the empty box. Using your ruler as a straight edge to guide you, draw a line diagonally from the "x" to the pointed left upper corner of the box. This will result in a 45-degree angle.
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2
Turn the box to the other side. Measure 4 inches from the bottom left corner of the box and draw an "x". With the aid of your ruler, draw a diagonal line from the "x" to the pointed top right corner of the box. The lines on both sides of the box should be parallel to, or even with, one another.
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3
Turn the box so that the narrow side is facing you, with the two "x" marks on either side of the box closest to you. Draw a horizontal line 4 inches up from the bottom of the box between the two "x" markings. It will almost appear as if the two "x" markings are now connected by a horizontal line between them, except the line will be on the center panel of the box.
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4
Cut the box along the pencil lines, and remove the top half. Use sandpaper to lightly rub the outside of the box. This will remove some of the wax coating on most boxes and make it easier for paint, tape or glue to adhere to the surface.
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5
Personalize your holder by using paint, covering it with gift-wrapping paper and double-sided adhesive tape, or by dressing it up with glue and craft paper.
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Tips & Warnings
You may choose to organize your reading material further by designating certain colors of magazine holders to hold specific types of magazines. For example: green for business or finance, yellow for home improvement and decorating, red for cooking and pink for fashion or beauty. Or choose different colors for each member of the family. If you will be making several holders at a time, one variation you could try would be to line them up together and paint one continuous design along the outside of the boxes so that when displayed together on a shelf they create a cohesive scene. If that seems too complex, consider a word or phrase that can only be read when the magazine holders are placed together.
Although this project is fun for older children (eight years old and up), an adult should supervise the use of the craft knife when the boxes are cut.
Resources
- Photo Credit All Free Crafts
