100+ Ways to Creatively Reuse Old Magazines
Friday, September 24, 2010 at 3:39PM 
Photo Used Under a Creative Commons License - Copyright © LimonadaPhoto Used Under a Creative Commons License - Copyright © Limonada
Lost in a stack of magazine piles? Does your periodical collection make you a nominee for the tv show Hoarders? Love the eco-chic look? Going Green? Perhaps, you simply can't bear to part with your beloved magazines?No worries, I've wasted an afternoon compiled a plethora of ideas, tutorials & resources for you to draw inspiration from.
Books: whether you buy or borrow these references are sure to make all your projects eco-chic
- 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew
- Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking: Make Your Own Recycled Paper from Newspapers & Magazines, Can & Bottle Labels, Disgarded Gift Wrap, Old Phone Books, Junk Mail, Comic Books, and More
- Craftcycle: 100+ Earth-Friendly Projects and Ideas for Everyday Living
- The Big-Ass Book of Crafts
- The Envelope Mill: Recycle Magazines into Beautifully Crafted Envelopes/Book and Templates
Craft Supplies: tutorials to make your own supplies, embellishments and gift wrap with recycled magazines
- Make a gift bow from a magazine page
- Heart-Tastic Recycled Magazines: Put a little love....in everything
- Recycled Paper Gift Bows
- Fold a gift bag
- Customized Poker Chips
- Origami Kusadama Flowers
- How to Make a Recycled Magazine Flower (video)
- homemade envelopes (with video link)
- How to Recycle a Magazine - background papers
- Tutorial 01: How to make a gift bag
- Magazine Collage: How to Create Collage Art with Magazine Elements
- How-To: Recycle Junk Mail into Paper Beads
Furnishings: tutorials for turning old magazines into functional furniture
Decor: tutorals for turning old magazines into home decor
- DIY Idea: Recycled Magazine Shelf
- Recycled Magazine Picture Frames
- DIY Magazine Picture Frame (Video)
- Magazine Bowl
- Colorful Coasters from Recycled Magazines
- Recycled Magazine Wall Art (or make it a rug!)
- Magazine Bowls
- Magazine Heart Garland
- Funky Recycled Magazine Frame
- How to "Waste" Paper Can
- Umbrella Stand
- Recycled Mag Butterfly Collage
- Magazine Boxes (love!) visual tutorial here
- Recycled Magazine Coasters
- Paper Clip & Magazine Curtains
- Marble Magnets
- (adorable) Recycled Christmas Tree
- Make nesting baskets from old magazines
- Recycled Paper Trash Can
- DIY Recycled Magazine Mobiles
- Repurpose Old Magazines Into A Magazine Reed Box
- Recycled Magazine Flower Tutorial (cute!)
- How to make an Urban Outfitters recycled magazine holder (video)
- recycling project no. 6 - junk mail trees
- Junk Mail Blinds
- Magazine Page Mirror Frame
- How to turn junk mail into art.
- How To Make a Clock From Junk Mail!
Accessories: tutorials for jewelry & accessories crafted from recycled magazines
- Large Recycled Magazine Necklace
- Recycled Magazine Mini Top Hat
- Magazine Bag or Bin
- Recycled Magazine Necklace
- Magazine Wristlet (cute!)
- Recycled Magazine Handbag
- recycled magazine wallet
- How to turn junk mail into guitar picks (video)
- DIY Bracelet From Magazine Subscription Cards
- How to Make Dangly Earrings with Magazine Pages
- How to Make A Recycled Magazine Bead Bracelet
- How to make jewelry from old magazines
For the Kiddos: tutorials that are sure to entertain them for awhile ( and adults too!)
- Art Plates
- Recycled Magazine Ornaments
- DIY: Recycled Catalog Dollhouse
- Magazine Paper Weaving
- How to Make Scrap-Paper Mosaics
Buy It!: cool recycled magazine products you can purchase or simply be inspired by
- Woven Recycled Magazine Wine Tube Bottle Tote
- Eco-Chic Handbag Made from Recycled Fashion Magazines
- Recycled Magazines Pattern Pencil Holder
- Nahui Ollin Briefcase Tote
- Recycled Magazine Mirror - Square
- Recycled Magazine Paper Square Coasters
- Nahui Ollin Box Medium Tote
- Coiled Recycled Magazine Earrings
- Recycled Magazine Round Mirror
- Recycled Magazines Sculptural Wall Mirror
- Nahui Ollin Small Box Tote
- Recycled Magazine Frame Mirror in Multi Color
- Recycled Magazine Single-Bottle Wine Tote
- Recycled Magazine Square Mirror
- Recycled Magazines Bowls Set
- Recycled Magazine Jewelry Box
- Oenophilia Recycled Magazine 6-Bottle Wine Rack
Inspiration: no tutorials here but many projects are easy to figure out or to simply inspire
- Super funky garbage can
- Recycling little snips of magazines as leaves in wall art
- Tea set made from recycled magazines
- Recycled Magazine Cuff
- Interesting home décor stuff made from recycled magazines
- Frazier & Wing Recycled Magazine Mobiles
- Breathtaking works of art
- Another Take on the Magazine Table
- Wall Sculptures
- All from Upcycled Magazines!
- Recycled Gift Wrap
- Simple Centerpiece: Recycled Paper Bouquet Vase
- Magazine Skull
- Look!: Magazine Clippings from Mood Board to Art
- Doodle Card
- UrthBags: Recycled Magazines find a stylish new home
- Top Ten Reuses for Magazines.
- 'Trashy' Journals
Have an idea you'd like to list here? Know of an original idea or tutorial? Just leave a comment and I'll update this post with your suggestions ...as time permits.
Still want another project tackle? Check out 100+ ways to reuse your old sweaters.
Always, Chrysti
Reader Comments (30)
I use old magazines to make art journals I call trashy journals!
http://artjournaling.blogspot.com/2010/06/trashy-journals.html
I LOVE eco-friendly crafts!
Thanks - they are lovely! Adding your link under inspirations now.
I love these ideas the origami flowers and bows are my favorite
Thank you for this! I have so many magazines that I've had trouble getting rid of, but will never read again. I'm looking forward to giving them new life in some of these projects.
Magazine cover "gum wrapper chain" bracelet: http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2010/09/recycled-mail-gum-wrapper-chain-woven.html
Magazine page rolled tube sunburst mirror: http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2010/01/magazine-page-mirror-frame.html
Sheet music origami star ornament: http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2009/12/sheet-music-origami-star.html
Gum wrapper chain purse: http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2008/12/gum-wrapper-chain-purse.html
Love this list and I love using old pretty images from magazines in all kinds of ways.
I once wrote a post called The Therapy of Magazine Cutting - so you see, magazines can help you become healthy too! ;-)
Take care!
Thanks for featuring a link to my How to Make a Gift Bag tutorial - they're perfect for craft fairs to us as packaging, but also a great way to give gifts too!
Great ideas!
I want to recycle as much as I can, So, I love this site.
thanks.
greetings, Nel
wow! This is fantastic! I retweeted this. Thanks for "wasting an afternoon" putting this together! Ha!
I love using old magazines for crafts! This is such a fun website. :) I used old magazines for murals and scrap booking the most, now I have new ideas. Thanks!
lovely pos with great ideas. I have blogged about it :) Thank you
I use old magazines to make envelopes for pen palling. I also use them so I don't get glue on my desk. :)
Just found you on Stumble which I enjoy checking out blogs I might not have found otherwise. I know some young folks at church that just might enjoy doing some of these projects. Posting on FB also just incase some friends or family might enjoy also.
Thanks for sharing!, Doris
Lovelovelove!
I recently started tearing apart all my piled up magazines to make homemade envelopes (I carefully tore apart a check-sized envelope, traced it onto card stock, and use it as a template. I send my mom car payments in these envelopes, she thinks they're cute. :) ).
Anyway, I only get about a dozen or so pages from every magazine that I like for envelopes, so I have stacks of discarded pages I *want* to use but never knew what to do with. Then! I stumbled on this! So many ideas! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Interesting blog post....I enjoy the complete reading of this article...Thanks a lot for sharing...
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Thanks for sharing !! I love to weave and reuse papers for my project , i also Weave a Basket with Handle from old magazine and folding a paper case from old magazines or beautiful brochure !
Thanks for the ideas! I'm on it!
I use magazines in my classroom a lot. My fave is to have the kids cut out the letters to spell their spelling words for the week. They love it!
I was really interested in the link '■How-To: Recycle Junk Mail into Paper Beads' but when I went to the link, it very specfically says not to use old magazines (glossy paper) or even newspapers. Has anyone here tried magazines? I have so many a paper beads for a Girl Scout project would be Great!!
Thanks,
Wrote this one a couple years back . . . another fun way to reuse magazines to dress up packages. :) http://www.skooksplayground.com/2010/02/tutorial-recycled-paper-flower-gift.html
Amazing ideas, trying a number of them!
Recycling is a very good idea. Aside from the fact that you will reused a lot of magazines in your house, you can also help the environment. I love to read informative articles like this.
I read magazines when I feel bored. Most people loves to read magazines. Some people just want to have a collection of some particular magazines. As years goes by this will add on our garbage. And I' glad that you gave us an idea on we can reuse old magazines. This will give good contribution to have a green environment.
Magazines are really helpful at any art creation you will do. For me you can also earn money because of it.
Instead of simply throwing our old glossy magazines in the bin, we can still think of ways on how to make use of them in order to avoid wastage. The same goes with other paper products - printed copies of documents, newspapers and wrapping papers - they can still serve a purpose, thanks to the resources that you have provided in this post.