Friday, May 23, 2014

RECYCLED MAGAZINE ART

(PLEASE NOTE:  I am not sure why but I could not get this post to publish yesterday!  Blogger must be having some problems.
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Well, I have mostly recovered from yesterday's dental ordeal except that I really got sick last night (lots of laundry today) and so today I have been dragging.   Thanks for understanding why I didn't post yesterday.

MAGAZINE ART:
Summer is coming up pretty fast and that means school's out.   There are lots of things to do with magazines and I will include more ideas later on.   But one that I didn't really think about was art.

The resources I used were a magazine, scissors, stick glue, hot glue gun (thick tacky glue would work also but time is needed for drying), rubber bands if using tacky glue, needle and thread (or, stiff thread), a pencil (a dowel would work better) and a small crochet hook (a round toothpick or skewer would work just as well).

First, I tore the pages out of the magazine...

To make the base, I simply folded up each page about 3/4 inch wide, securing with stick glue on the last fold...

I then curled these into a circle and glued the end.   Thick tacky glue works, but needs to have something to hold the circle.   I found rubber bands work well.  After making several, I fastened them together in a free form shape making sure that the circles would stand on their own...


Next I made several long tubes using a single page from the magazine and a pencil to shape.  I applied stick glue several times while winding the tubes and especially using the glue at the end...

These are what I wound up with...

Finally, I made lots of little paper beads by cutting a long skinny triangle and winding it around the crochet hook (you can also use a round toothpick or skewer) making sure to secure the end with glue...

Once these were done, using glue (you can also use a glue gun) I assembled the pieces into an abstract art form using the large round circles for the base. I threaded several of the paper beads together so they can sway in the breeze.   And this is what I made.   It is light enough to hang with a thumb tack or it can sit on a flat surface...

This is only the beginning.   Lots more decorations can be added.   The art piece can be twice as large...use a couple magazines.  It's a great and inexpensive way to let children exercise their imagination.   Check out some of the great pictures on Pinterest for more ideas.

PROJECT BOARD:
By the way, the board that I have the art piece on is made very simply.   The fleece was a remnant at a fabric store - $1,   The base is a piece of cardboard cut out of a shipping box and the trim is some I had on hand.

I simply stapled the fleece (two layers) to the cardboard, and covered the staples in the back with tape.   I also used a glue gun to tack down the fabric in the back as well as add the trim in the front.   To hang, I braided three pieces of yarn and attached to the back using a glue gun.   It's so lightweight, that it hangs on a thumb tack and I love the frugal cost of only a buck.

I'll post my journal page tomorrow as well as the Zentangles.

Thanks for stopping in...
See you tomorrow...