Magazine Beads

Magazine Beads

Ages: 10 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 1 ½ hours hands-on; drying overnight

This craft is hands-on bead-making from old magazines; the beads can be used to make necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. Below are a list of materials and directions on how to make magazine beads!  You may need a parent or guardian to help you with the sticky stuff.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• 3-5 leftover glossy magazines with colorful pictures
• Ruler
• Pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• Modge Podge (or a 50/50 mixture of glue and water)
• Skinny wooden rod (like a chop stick)

How-to Steps:

1. Spend time searching for the brightest pictures in the magazines.
2. Use the ruler to measure a six-inch tall skinny triangle with a 1-inch base over a colorful picture; cut it out; repeat until you have 10-20 skinny triangle strips, or however many you need for your project.
3. Starting at the wide part, roll one triangle tightly around the wooden rod, gluing the end you start with and the last point; repeat with all strips/triangles. You may have to hold the end for a few seconds to get it to stay.
4. Paint Modge Podge lightly over each bead and let dry over night.
5. Remove beads from rod and enjoy! String from rope or use your imagination!

Personalized Journal

Personalized Journal

Ages: 6 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty:  ***** 

Time:  about 10 minutes

Turn a boring notebook into a personal work of art!  The duct tape cover will also make the notebook more durable.  Use your book for class or keep a journal!

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Composition notebook
• Duct Tape (various colors and patterns now available)
• Permanent Markers
• Ruler
• Scissors

How-to Steps:

1. Measure your notebook from top to bottom.  Round up the number to the next full inch.  Add 4 inches to that number. 
2. Measure and cut a strip of duct tape to the above length.
3. Attach the tape to the notebook cover starting at the top, leaving about 2 inches to wrap around the inside cover.  Alternate between patterned and solid color tape to add interest if desired.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the entire book is covered.
5. If you wish, use permanent markers to add more detail. 

Magazine Tree

Magazine Tree

Ages: 3 and up
Parental supervision suggested
Difficulty Level: *****

Time: 45 minutes

Make your own unique tree in celebration of spring’s arrival.  This craft applies mosaic techniques using recyclable materials.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• White paper
• Brown paint (I used tempera)
• Paint brush
• Drinking straw
• Discarded magazines, junk mail, or newspaper inserts
• Glue

How-to Steps:

1. Using the brush, drip a little brown paint near the center of the paper.
2. Immediately, blow through the straw, spreading the paint into random lines.
3. Continue dripping and blowing paint, turning the paper as needed, until you are satisfied with the shape of your tree.
4. Use the brush to thicken the trunk if needed. (The tree trunk could also be drawn and colored or covered with torn brown paper, rather than painted.  One technique is to trace your hand and arm.) 
5. While the paint is drying, find 3 or 4 green pictures in your discarded papers.  Tear the pictures into small pieces. 
6. Apply glue to a small area of your tree and immediately place torn green paper “leaves” on the glue.  Repeat until you are satisfied with your tree’s shape.
7. You could also add a torn-paper sky or a picture of a tree-loving animal (bird, squirrel, frog, snake, bat, etc.).