Through the Creative Looking Glass

Here, you see a stack of magazines.

Through the creative looking glass, we turned the magazines into this.

Crafted by Billie Jo.

Art, in all forms, is about creation. You can take items that were specifically made to craft with, or step outside of the box and turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

Supplies

• Wooden Panel
• 1 Magazine
• Delta Ceramcoat in White
• Square Mirrors
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• E-6000
• Paintbrush

For this project, you want to select a base that has an inset or recessed area to place the magazine rolls. 

Inset, or recessed area, is shown here.

We chose to use a wooden panel we have available in our store because it's the perfect size for the magazine rolls.

Okay, let's get ready to roll!

1.  Tear a page from the magazine and cut it into three equal strips.

2.  Begin rolling (diagonally) from one corner of the strip. Rolling the strip this way will create a mixture of colors.

3.  As you roll, be sure to keep it tight.

5.  Continue to roll until you get to the very end of the paper.

6.  Apply Mod Podge to the edge of the paper to seal the roll and set aside.

7.  Repeat steps 1-6 until you have enough rolls to create your design. For our wooden panel, it took about 80 rolls.

Billie Jo wanted to add mirrors to this project, so she glued them onto the panel with E-6000. Adding embellishments is optional, but if you do, keep in mind that you will be laying magazine rolls around them, which may affect your design.

8.  Apply a layer of Mod Podge onto the area of where you are going to start laying down the rolls, which for us, is a corner of the panel.

The starting point is crucial to the design, so be sure you have an idea of the pattern of the rolls before you begin to trim and glue the rolls.

9.  Place one end of the roll into the corner to measure how much will fit, then cut with scissors.

11.  Place the cut piece onto the area it was cut for.

Since we are working with a small corner, we are going to use the same roll.

12.  Using the same roll, measure the area of where you will lay down the roll, and cut with scissors.

 

13.  Then, place the cut piece onto the area it was measured.

For covering wider or longer areas of the inset, use new rolls and leave shorter rolls (that have been cut down) for smaller areas.

14.  You will continue the measuring and cutting process until the entire inset is filled with rolls.

15.  Apply Mod Podge to the top of the rolls to seal. Be careful to not get Mod Podge on the mirrors or any embellishments you decide to use.

Rolling the magazine strips for this project was a little time consuming, but the end result is so worth it. For more projects, visit our Project Gallery on our website here.