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A cute (and handy) new way to reuse your old magazines!

Posted by Lydia P. • Published 19th May 2011 • See Lydia P.'s 2 projects »

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Step 1
Go through each of the magazines and tear out pages that you think are interesting or colorful. I tried to choose ones with cool patterns or certain small images that I wanted, things like a cool shoe or a well made-up eye.

As you're doing this, choose five full magazine pages that you particularly like. They should be the size of, or bigger than your box. These will cover the inside of your box.
Step 2
Decide on the size of your box before you begin folding the strips. You should aim for each strip to be about 1" to make it easier to measure. If you would like a 3x5 box, then you need to make 8 strips that are 1 inch wide. This pattern is easily modified to fit the size you want.
Step 3
Take each strip and fold the magazine vertically to make long strips about one inch wide. The entire box cold take anywhere from 4-100's of strips depending on the size of your box.
Step 4
Here's an example of where the measurements of your box should match up. Each color line/ box represents an equal measurement. For example, all of the sides with pink on them are the same size. NOTE: This box is NOT drawn to size.
Step 5
Weave these strips into the approximate size that you'd like for your box. When you're deciding how many you'd like, dont count the edge of the paper that sticks out after you have your weaved squares. If you know how to weave, GOOD FOR YOU! Please skip steps 5-8.
Step 6
My example box is 5 inches by 4 inches. Start out by laying out your strips vertically. If you put a strip of tape over them at the top this will be much easier. We will be working from left to right, but you can reverse it if you're left handed. Take another strip and put it UNDER the first vertical strip and OVER the next. UNDER, OVER, UNDER, OVER is the pattern you should follow.
Step 7
Your magazine strips, when done weaving, should look like this. Don't add the ends of the paper that are sticking out of the edge of the base. Push all your strips to the center so that there are no holes in between the strips. (Like the picture in the next step.)
Step 8
Using your clear packing tape, "laminate" the front of your material. It makes it easier if you laminate all the way to the edge of the fabric, including the circled pink part.
Step 9
Take your (weaved paper) material and measure out how big the weaved surface is. This should not include the areas that I have circled in red. Cut out a piece of cardboard approx. 1/2 of an inch smaller all the way around than your surface. This will be used to give the box lasting shape and form.
Step 10
Take the weaved material and place it face down (laminated side down) on a flat surface. Lay your cardboard down on top of it and tape the edges of the material over onto the back.
Step 11
Take your 5 full magazine pages and attach them to the sides with the exposed cardboard using the clear tape.
Step 12
Repeat steps 5-9 for each of the sides.
Step 13
Proceed to assemble the box! Make sure that all of your edges are sufficiently strong and taped correctly!
Step 14
YAY! Enjoy your box! I used mine to hold all of my magazines until I got too many. Now I store my duct tape in it!

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Comments

Lydia P. · 2 projects 2nd September 2011

I used to use it to store all of my duct tape, but now I have too much. It fits my teen vogues, but I have so many and I don't like any of them THAT much that I need them on hand. Now it just holds all of my incoming college mail. THERE IS SO MUCH!