7 Ways to Upcycle Old Magazines

Photo by Sunguk Kim
from Unsplash

Old magazines. Have you ever thought about the multiplicity of upcycled projects you can do with them?

Why Upcycle Old Magazines?

Magazines have glossy, colorful pages.

If you've ever bought a pack of glossy art paper for your kids' school project, think about the glossy element of these art materials; but with magazines, you also get text in different fonts and font sizes, photos, and varying sizes of paper. 

Magazines can be some of the cheapest craft materials.

You may already have piles of glossy magazines lying around at home. If you do, you already have a goldmine of craft materials. 

Upcycling magazines can help reduce clutter.

Imagine clearing away at least a stash or 2, or even a box or any container, of glossy magazines. 

As craft materials, old magazines are versatile. 

You can combine sheets of old magazines with scrapbook, origami, tissue, crepe, kraft, felt, art, and construction paper. 

There's also a lot you can do by incorporating embellishments, die cuts, corrugated board, and foam sheets. 

You can end up with a lot of "brand new" items by upcycling old magazines.

You'll be surprised with the number of ways you can upcycle old magazines, and the items with which you'll end up once your projects are done.

(**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Once you click on any of those links and make a purchase, I'll collect a commission.) 

Photo from Brit + Co
Click here for complete procedure

(1.) Customized ceramic tiles

Imagine these tiles as coasters adorning your dining table or coffee table. Afternoons spent reading a good book while sipping ice cold lemonade will never be the same again! 

These customized ceramic tiles turned coasters also make the perfect stocking stuffer. 

For more on ideas for stocking stuffers, read -- 

13 DIY Stocking Stuffers for Frugal Givers

(2.) Notebook covers

If your kids are teen-agers, are they going all "ho-hum" over the boring covers of their school notebooks? 

Photo from Autodesk Instructables
Click here for complete tutorial

Well, why not make things more exciting by using old magazine covers to DIY your kids' notebook covers?

Random pre-loved basketball magazines
from 3S Angels Used Goods Shop

For guys, use covers of basketball or other sports magazines, and school days will never be the same again.

(3.) Ornaments 

Like having friends over for a movie or Netflix marathon? How about a game of cards or adult board games? 

Why not amp up the ambience by crafting ornaments from old magazines? 

Just think: no one will notice your threadbare apartment or ratty old furniture. The ornaments might even make a worthwhile conversation starter. 

(4.) Elements for a vision board 

You may have heard of the law of attraction and the effectivity of manifesting dreams and goals through vision boards. 

To illustrate, maybe you've binged on junk food and processed food and had been sedentary for most of the past year, and you'd like to eat healthfully and be more physically active again. 

Take several issues of old fitness magazines, and clip photos of fitness models working out. 

Or, you can also look for pictures of exercise equipment, like a treadmill, a pair of Pilates bands, a jumping rope, or athletic trainers.

Proceed by arranging these photos on your vision board, which could be a poster board, a corkboard, or a large illustration board.

For more about vision boards, read -- 

9 Ways a Vision Board Can Help You Succeed 

(5.) Accessories 

Paper beading is the process where you gather strips of old magazines and turn them into colorful beads. 

Photo from Crafty House
Click here for complete procedure

Out of these colorful beads, you can make accessories like bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even bag charms, keychains, and phone charms.

Photo from Meegan Makes
Click here for
complete procedure

(6.) Woven placemat 

Ladies, have you ever dreamt of recreating afternoon tea and inviting your friends over for generous servings of finger sandwiches, scones, and delectable pastry?

Well, why not select a few issues of those home and garden magazines and turn them into paper placemats that show what "understated elegance" is? 

You can complement your table setting and fine china with flowers made from tissue paper.

And the best thing about this upcycled magazine project? You can have it modified. For a children's party, you can replace glossy magazines with old comic books.

Back issues of teen magazines
by Cherryish You

(7.) Pop art 

You've probably seen pop art from Andy Warhol's collections, vintage record stores, as well as shops offering a variety of collectibles like posters and art prints.

Photo from Mad in Crafts
Click here for complete procedure

Regardless of your level of understanding about art, pop art is one of the least intimidating to try as a newbie because of its references to pop culture and use of bold colors.

Making pop art with your kids by upcycling old magazines will not only enhance their creativity and stretch their imagination; you can also wean them away from their devices, at least for a while. 

For more tips on reducing your kids' screen time, read -- 

How to Help Your Kids Reduce Screen Time Through Crafts

13 Craft-Themed Events to Cover in Your Blog (Part 2)

In the 1st part of article, I cited different reasons for a craft blogger to cover craft-themed events.

Here's the remaining part of my list of 13 craft-themed events to cover in your blog:

(5.) Craft store opening 

There's nothing wrong with going to an opening of a huge craft store that houses a multitude of brands of craft materials, tools, and equipment. 

But you may also stumble upon an opening of a less-known specialty craft or hobbies store.

(6.) Opening of pop-up stores 

Selling craft supplies inside a brick-and-mortar store isn't the only way to stumble upon brands and tools. 

There are artists and creatives who realize the benefits of putting up a showcase of their products in a pop-up store. 

For more about pop-up stores, read -- 

What is a pop-up shop? Everything you need to know to try short-term retail

(7.) Craft store hopping 

While not exactly an event, your readers may wish to know about craft stores or hobby stores that sell supplies in wholesale prices. 

Going out and about on a craft store hop can be interesting, and the content you provide can be a refreshing change.

You may wish to upload videos of yourself with a companion, going into every craft store, checking out and recommending products while mentioning prices, color, quality, etc.

(8.) Craft supplies swap 

You may not need to go far in order to write about an event like a craft supplies swap. 

Your next-door neighbor might be looking to get rid of some of the items from her craft stash and get new supplies. Your church or local community center may also serve as a venue for donations of craft supplies and a swap.

Thinking of hosting your own craft supplies swap? Read --

How to Host a Craft Supplies Swap

(9.) Craft-related activities of volunteer groups 

Volunteer groups and organizations will appreciate a competent writer getting the word out about their outreach programs. 

They may be into holding craft sessions among inmates, or the elderly in nursing homes, or to keep adults preoccupied in homeless hostels. 

Come prepared with a business card and an updated press kit. You may be able to secure future writing assignments from the organizations.

(10.) Craft retreats 

Joining a craft retreat may be a rare treat for a blogger like you, since they're extremely pricey. 

Photo from Book Retreats

But joining and writing about such retreats help raise awareness among communities of craft enthusiasts, the healing effects of the creative process, and the social benefits of craft retreats.

(11.) Crafty hen dos/bachelorette parties

Unless it's your own girl friend's bachelorette party or hen do, I don't recommend barging uninvited into someone's bridal event! 

So what can you do? Get in touch with companies that specialize in organizing crafty hen dos.

Get deep into their company policy, culture, and how they intend to provide a good time to the bride and her squad.

(12.) Tour of craft rooms 

You may have relatives or close friends who have their own craft rooms, or have dedicated a corner of a room in their homes into a craft space.

Again, while technically not counted as an event, writing about craft rooms can provide valuable insight into the crafter's world and habits. 

You can also provide a-day-in-the-life-type of photos with captions and videos.

(13.) Repurposed content of coverage of craft-themed events

Your craft blog must continually garner views and subscribers, and you should publish content that is fresh, engaging, and will interest your audience. 

But sometimes, coming up with content leaves you stumped. And if the creative block lasts for more than a few days to a week or so, it can leave you feeling rattled. 

If you have already covered a string of craft-themed events, why not come up with a year-end blog post, such as "I Went to 5 Seventeen Cupsleeve Events This Year; Here's What Happened."

Or how about "the best of" list-icle formatted for your paid newsletter, inserted with affiliate links? 

13 Craft-Themed Events to Cover in Your Blog

Are you a craft blogger with an online following that's growing gradually? 

You may already be publishing a mix of interesting content. Your blog articles may be SEO-optimized. 

But have you ever thought about adding "beat reporter" or "community journalist" to your multitude of roles by covering craft-themed events?

What is A Craft-Themed Event? 

A craft-themed event hopes to attract hobbyists, enthusiasts, or even casual practitioners of a craft or different types of crafts. 

It can also be a bazaar or expo showcasing a display of handmade products or merchandise by different artisans housed in one venue, where interested buyers can go. 

An event can also be a class or workshop that teaches specific techniques about the craft to participants. 

Located in Paranaque City, Philippines,
Craft Academy is a go-to place to
let your inner creative run loose.
(Photo from TicketWavePH)

Why Cover Different Types of Events in Your Craft Blog?

Covering events will engage your blog's audience.

For starters, chances are high that a well-written blog article enhanced with photos will get shared across different social media platforms. 

You can also get in touch with content creators and social media managers and ask if you can provide a link of your blog article in their Facebook Pages.

Writing about events will help raise your blog's traffic organically.

Publishing SEO-optimized, evergreen content regularly in a blog, regardless of niche, is one of the fool-proof ways to gain readership.

But occasionally, you also need to keep tab on the latest trends and development in your niche and come up with content that's time-sensitive and satisfies your readers' curiosity.

Covering events for your craft blog will give you the opportunity to widen your network.

You'll have countless opportunities to meet like-minded people, like fellow crafters and craft bloggers, photographers, videographers, and the artisans and business owners who set up booths in craft events.

By covering craft-themed events, you may come across business owners, sellers, and brands that are open to partnerships or collaborations. 

If you already post tutorials of crafts in your blog, and you have a decent following on Facebook and Instagram, you might build a reputation as a micro-influencer.

Therefore, as an authority in your field, you might interest brand owners or fellow creatives, and be offered free craft supplies.

For more information about asking for free craft supplies, read -- 

How to Get Free Art Supplies and Become A Micro-Influencer

You can support your favorite creatives by giving them publicity through your craft blog.

While you may not have a lot in your discretionary fund to buy handmade products from your favorite artisans or creatives, writing about the event and promoting them is the equivalent of hyping them up for free.

Having said all of the above, here's a list of 13 craft-themed events to cover in your blog: 

(1.) Craft bazaars and expos 

As a craft blogger, you might want to take advantage of the highly affordable admission fee to craft bazaars or expos. Some bazaars don't even charge an admission. 

Bazaars and expos usually adhere to a theme and often attract creatives and small business owners who rely on word-of-mouth and other forms of guerrilla marketing to get their handmade merchandise known to the public.

These events are usually spread over 2-3 days, and organizers invite buskers to keep the crowd entertained.

(2.) Cupsleeve event 

Due to the hallyu wave, cupsleeve events have become increasingly popular since the year 2000. 

Basically, cupsleeve events are gatherings of fandoms of KDrama celebrities or KPop idols. 

BTS Jin & Taehyung cupsleeve kit
(unofficial) by Adore Hue

So why does a cupsleeve event classify as a craft-themed event? Such events attract vendors that sell "fan-made merch," or handcrafted products to hallyu enthusiasts.

Organizers always charge admission fees to cupsleeve events, and for a good reason: attendees will be guaranteed of a cupsleeve kit, the opportunity to participate in games and win raffles, and occasionally, even a free drink like milk tea or coffee. 

(3.) Craft conventions 

While bazaars or expos may cater to a niche market, craft conventions aim to put together a diverse range of artisans, craftsmen, and creatives under one venue.

Craft conventions attract huge sponsors, since they benefit more than the creative community. 

(4.) Craft classes and workshops

Even if you've already had the techniques and hacks to your hobbies down pat, it's good to enroll in a class or workshop every now and then. 

Aside from meeting like-minded crafters, you can learn additional hacks and discover new brands of crafts materials, tools, and equipment. 

And yet, be forewarned that due to their comprehensive nature and the fact that materials or kits will be included, craft classes and workshops are hardly cheap. 

The 13 Cutest Needle Minders for Sewing Enthusiasts From Shopee

What is A Needle Minder?

A needle minder, or needle nanny, typically comes with magnetic backing to hold a sewing needle securely in place while you're not actively stitching. 

Placing your sewing needle on top of a needle minder prevents you from losing your needle as a result of putting it somewhere else. 

A needle minder may seem like an underrated craft accessory. And yet, it's an essential tool for cross stitch and needlework enthusiasts. 

Needle Minder: How Do You Use It? 

Click on the video above for a demonstration on how to use a needle minder.

Having said all of these, here are the 13 cutest needle minders from Shopee: 

(**DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, which means I'll be collecting a commission each time you click on those links and make a purchase.**)

Set of 2 wooden gnome 
needle minders by shop_day.ph

(1.) Gnomes 

Harry Potter
needle minder from
shop_day.ph

(2.) Harry Potter 

Dogs needle minders by
Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery

(3.) Dalmatians

Cat magnetic
needle minder from
shop_day.ph

(4.) Cat 

Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery's
lovely angels needle minders

(5.) Angels 

Magnetic needle minder
by shop_day.ph

(6.) Knitting needles with yarn 

Love hearts needle minders
by shop_day.ph

(7.) Hearts 

Avocado needle minder with
sewing case by shop_day.ph

(8.) Avocado 

Needle minder/needle nanny by
Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery

(9.) Hedgehog

Magnetic needle minder by
Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery

(10.) Van Gogh

Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery's
needle minder/needle keeper

(11.) Maker

Multifunctional circle planet 
needle minder by Shop
Days Hobbies & Stationery 

(12.) Outer space 

Shop Days Hobbies & Stationery's
stack of books needle minder

(13.) Books

DIY Craft: Date Ideas in A Jar

Photo by pressfoto from freepik

Married? One-half of a couple in a long-term relationship? In the early stages of dating? Still looking for "The One?" Why not come up with a date ideas in a jar as a DIY craft? 

Why Come Up With Date Ideas?

Planning dates is essential to keep the spark and romance alive in a relationship. 

According to The Marriage Foundation, "couples who have around 1 dedicated date night a month are 14% less likely to break up."

You'll always have fresh ideas if you're going out on multiple dates with different people. 

Lest you think that date ideas are for married couples only, or those in a long-term relationship, think again. 

If you're at a stage where nothing's exclusive yet and still going out with different people, coming up with a multitude of date ideas will help keep things fresh and exciting. No potential date will find you boring.

And by placing yourself and your date in different social situations, you get to see their attributes that go beyond the physical. 

For example, how do they act in a crowded, informal diner in contrast to a high-brow restaurant? 

Or, would they be okay with a low-key activity that doesn't require getting dressed to the nines, or being fully made up?

Couples in various stages of a relationship can budget their resources while still having a good time. 

The royal road to romance was never paved with thick wads of cash. 

This fact alone can lead you to stretch your imagination and be as creative as possible when coming up with date ideas.

No 2 couples are alike. 

There are couples who have day jobs, and may only have time to go out at night, while others enjoy day-time dates during weekends. 

Some long-term couples drive their own vehicle, or take the bus for an exciting out-of-town getaway. 

By coming up with a variety of date ideas, couples realize the importance of compromise. 

Just as no 2 couples are alike, there are couples who have stark contrasts in their personalities as well. Some have vastly different hobbies, tastes, or preferences.

To illustrate, someone who's free-spirited may be dating a perpetual planner. An introvert can end up with an extrovert. An individual working a regular 9-to-5 can get attracted to a creative type.  

That's why couples who wish to keep the relationship going must learn the importance of compromise during dates. 

An introvert may wish to spend most nights and weekends at home, while an extrovert may seek company. A good example of compromising on a date is hosting friends at home.  

For this DIY craft, you can use
an empty jar of mayonnaise,
jam, pickles, or fruit preserve.

Having said all of the above, here's how to DIY date ideas in a jar:

Date Ideas in A Jar: Materials 

Essentials:

• Empty jar (you can recycle a jar of mayonnaise, jam, fruit preserves, or pickle relish) 
• 6-8 sheets of construction paper of different colors
• Paper cutter
• Felt-tip pen 
• Washi tapes

Optional:  

• Twine 
• Ribbons 
• Bright-colored yarn 
• Gift tag

Date Ideas in A Jar: Procedure 

Take your sheets of construction paper and
paper cutter and make around 50-60 paper strips.
Come up with different date categories, and assign a
color for each category (see examples below). And then,
think of around 10-12 date ideas for each category.

Using a felt-tip pen, write a
date idea on each paper strip.

When you're done, fold all
paper strips and neatly
arrange them inside the jar.

You can insert a piece of twine, ribbon, or any bright-colored yarn into a gift tag and tie it around the lid of your jar.

Here's a list of suggestions for date categories and ideas for each category:

Frugal Date Ideas 

• Make a batch of pancakes and enjoy them with hot chocolate
• Free-admission day at the museum
• Make a pair of couple's bracelets at a souvenir store 
• Play games at an arcade 
• Thrift store date
• Look at vinyl records and posters of classic rock bands at music stores

Daytime Date Ideas 

• Buy toys from a pet store 
• Go to a department store and help her recreate 3 of the latest designer looks, at only a fraction of the designer price 
• Attend an author signing

Evening Date Ideas

• Catch the final screening at a cinema
• Go stargazing
• Go to an open mic night

Dining Date Ideas 

• Candle-lit dinner at a rooftop 
• Picnic at the nearest park
• Make your own pizza 
• Grab hotdogs at a hotdog stand
• Enjoy a 3-course meal after payday
• Fast food date 
• Go Chinese or Japanese 
• Order bubbly pink champagne with shrimp and crabs
• Have tacos while sharing a platter of nachos at a Mexican restaurant
• Wake up early to have sandwiches and coffee at the nearest convenience store

Themed Date Ideas 

• Cupsleeve event 
• Themed convention
• Car show

Arts and Crafts Date Ideas

• Paint and sip session 
• Learn calligraphy 
• Take a class in balloon making or flower arrangement
• Enroll in a ceramics or pottery class

Would you like to try a crafty activity with friends? Read --

7 Ways to Plan Crafty Activities With Friends

Date Ideas That Involve Physical Activity 

• Rent a pair of bikes and go on an early-morning ride 
• Take the dog out for a walk 
• Ride bump karts
• Try indoor rock climbing, parkour, or anti-gravity yoga 

Outdoor Dates

• Go on a hike 
• Visit an aviary, garden, or bee sanctuary 
• Pitch a tent at a camp site 
• Ride canoes
• Take a leisurely stroll on a tree-lined street
• Try rappelling 

His and Hers (Compromise) Dates 

• Date at furniture store after lunch at his favorite steak house
• Treat him to a banana split after carrying shopping bags from the thrift store
• Split a platter of pasta with Coke after an entire afternoon at the hardware

Double Date and Group Date Ideas 

• Host a potluck 
• Adult board games cafe 
• Attend a music festival 
• Attend trivia night at a pub
• Go bowling or swimming
• Try archery
• Go to a venue and pay to solve a locked-room mystery
• Go 2-on-2 on hoops with another couple
• Support your local community theater by watching their actors' plays 
• Amusement park date

13 Budget Friendly and Crafty Themes for A Child's Birthday Party (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my list of suggestions for crafty themes for a child's birthday party that's guaranteed to be fun as well as budget-friendly.

(**DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, which means I'll be collecting a commission each time you click on those links and make a purchase.)

(6.) Summer vibes 

Got a child whose birthday falls in the summer? Can't afford to celebrate in a resort? Is a pool party out of the question? Why not take the beach home instead?

Crafts 

Kinetic motion sand for
kids by betterkids_ph

Kinetic sand 

Beach in a jar

Any leftover sand from the kinetic sand crafts can be used for beach in a jar. 

120 g/bag beach shells
by muduoban.ph

And don't even think about buying several mason jars for this type of craft. You may have some empty jars of fruit preserves, jam, mayonnaise, or pickle relish lying around the house.

(7.) Paint and sip

A paint-and-sip themed birthday party is good for an intimate setting with a limited number of guests. It also works well for both boys and girls. 

You can just serve a platter of sandwiches, fried chicken, pasta, and ice cold orange juice or lemonade to your guests. 

Deli Official's
Solid watercolor painting supplies;
paintbrush included
(available in set of 8/12/21)

Watercolor suits your paint and sip birthday party because it's easy to experiment with the medium. 

Canson watercolor paper
9" x 11" (10 sheets)
by Art Bar PH

Ask your guests to look for an image or picture on the internet that they'd like to paint on a sheet of watercolor paper.

(8.) Halloween theme 

A Halloween theme is a spook-tacular and boo-tiful idea for kids whose birthday fall in October.

Crafts 

Making Halloween bookmarks

This fun craft is relatively easy to make
and requires only a few supplies.
Click here for the full tutorial.

Halloween string art

Games

You can download and print
these templates from
Happiness is Homemade.

Halloween Bingo

Download and print these templates
from Happiness is Homemade.

Charades

Want to spare your kids from toothache and excess sugar as a result of overconsumption of Halloween candy? Give them these 11 Spooktacular Replacements for Halloween.

For further reading: 

9 Spook-tacular Replacements for Halloween Candy

(9.) Winter-themed party

For children who were born in December, it's pretty easy to come up with a menu: make some hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, serve piping hot doughnuts or cinnamon rolls, or platters of finger sandwiches. 

Crafts 

Photo from It's Always Autumn
Click here for complete procedure

DIY sock snowman

Photo from It's Always Autumn
Click here for complete procedure

Chunky yarn snowmen

These snowmen crafts require either recycling or craft materials that are very easy to find. 

(10.) Paper plates crafts party

This theme would be a hit among parents and kids, and for a good reason: paper plates crafts are some of the easiest (and most enjoyable!) to make. It's also extremely cost-effective. 

(11.) Crayola theme

Crayola crayons, available in
boxes of 48's and 64's from
idols.officeandschoolsupplies4

Bust out the huge box of crayons (or 2) and let your kid and his friends spend hours of fun coloring away! 

Photo from Kleur-v-Kind
Click here to download
free coloring pages

And don't even think about buying coloring books. Just get a ream of typewriting paper, download and print free coloring pages. 

Photo from Kleur-v-Kind

Take a poll among your child's friends to know what coloring pages they want. Is it their favorite cartoon, comic strip, or video game character?

(12.) Sports-themed party

While a lot of boys will surely welcome the thought of having a sports-themed birthday party, don't be surprised if physically active or athletic girls might hint at it, too. 

You can decorate your home to look like the Superbowl weekend or the NBA Finals.

Photo from Frosting and Glue
Click here for complete procedures

Crafts  

Photo from
Simple Everyday Mom
Click here for
complete procedure

(13.) DIY postcard party

A DIY postcard party requires everyone to decorate a blank postcard. 

Use a paper cutter to cut these in postcard size.

HerOrganicBeauty's
5 pieces 150 x 100 mm
Kraft paper blank greeting cards

It's a good way to get kids to let their imagination run loose and enhance their creativity. 

Pink and blue stickers
(52 pieces) from
FunnyPaper.ph

Obtain old magazines, comic books, and catalogues, get some stickers sheets, washi tapes, ephemera, paper doilies, and die cuts, and distribute pens and markers, as well as tools like stamps, scrapbook scissors, and paper punchers.

50 pieces/set
colorful stickers by
frt_stickers.ph

Provide 3 blank postcards to each of your guests, and ask them to think about the kind of artwork or theme that they want to DIY.