Make crafty use of magazines that continue to line your shelves by recycling bright colored pages and a frame that may need some sprucing up. The final product promises to be colorful and one-of-a-kind, especially if you use pages from an Evansville Living issue, which we did in our magazine reed version.
Items needed:
• Magazine pages (25-50)
• Paper craft glue
• Two bamboo skewers (the narrowest ones you can find)
• Sharp, strong scissors
• Picture frame
• Mod Podge
• Glue stick
• Sponge brush
Directions:
1. Tear out magazine pages and fold them in half lengthwise. Cut the page in half and place it face down. Position a bamboo skewer at the bottom right corner of the page.
2. Begin rolling the paper around the skewer. Pull the end of the skewer out of the reed a little at a time as you roll so you can still see the end of the skewer.
3. Once you’ve rolled the paper close to the opposite edges, spread some glue (using a glue stick) along the top edge of the paper on the right-hand side.
4. Continue rolling the reed over the glue. Apply stick glue again to the top and left edges of the paper. Finish rolling up the reed, making sure that the last tip of paper is securely glued down. To complete the reed, pull the skewer out once it is covered.
5. Once you have made a pile of reeds, apply a line of craft glue to the frame and press the reeds one by one into the glue in any design you choose. Place the reeds as close together as possible on the frame. Allow the glue to dry for an hour before trimming the excess flush to the frame. Then, apply two coats of Mod Podge with a sponge brush over the box (allowing it to dry between coats). Once the reeds are completely dry, place your favorite photo in the frame and display for everyone to see.
Tip: Remove white margins on your magazine pages when creating reeds so it doesn’t cover up the colors.
