How to Make a Zine

For the current Queen Bees swap, we decided to try our hands at zines.

We are each starting one and sending it around for the others to add to.

Mine is called, "Collections" and I created the zine's pages by starting with pages from an old stamp album.

They happen to be 8 1/2" x 11" so fit perfectly through a printer.

Can you see where I am going with this?

Although the girls can glue over anything they want in my zine, I didn't want to start them with stark, white, intimidating pages.

I layered images on my pages by running them through my copier (printer/scanner) multiple times.

In the above photo, I placed a panel of lace on the scanner bed, ran my stamp album page through once (black and white), changed the image on the scanner bed to a children's book illustration and ran the same photo album page through again in color.

But I didn't stop at flat images.

On this page I laid out my collection of old rusty compasses, backed the design with an old letter, and ran my stamp album page through the printer once.

On other pages I used a collection of scissors and scattered buttons.

This technique would also make a cool journal.

I'm thinking I might have to make one for myself, or as a gift to a fellow junker.

Once I decided I had "collaged" enough, I stacked my pages, folded them in half (so my finished zine will be 5 1/2" x 8"),

poked holes in the spine and tied them through to a simple cover made from a paper grocery bag.

I am all about reusing materials. 

Here I did my intro spread and a page about old postage stamps

(only one of the many things I collect and design with!)

On my intro page I allowed my printer collaged background to show through. 

On my postage stamp page I all but covered the images up.

I also attached a mini zine to my spread.

It's made by folding a piece of paper in half, then in half again.

I designed the cover and two inside pages.

I just attached it with a small smear of a glue stick, so I can remove it easily for reproduction.

I will simply unfold the mini zine, lay it flat on my printer/ scanner, make copies, cut and refold.

No staples.

I am thinking ahead to reproducing the pages, because when my zine comes home to me with everyone's contributions, I will cut my string binding, lay the pages flat on my scanner bed and easily make copies front and back.

Linda, Margaret, Carole and Patty (all in my side bar under "The Queen Bees"), will each get a copy of this zine.

And that's what a zine is...

a self published piece.