07.10

Magazine Rack

If you’re anything like me, and have an obsession with magazines, you probably also have a semi-obnoxious collection of them scattered all around your house. I looked around the other morning, and realized I had magazines on my desk, my bookshelf, my ottoman, in a basket, and beside my bed. I had remembered seeing a magazine rack design similar to this at a friend’s house last year, and decided to recreate it for myself. It was a fairly simple project that only took an afternoon to complete (thanks to my dad for lending a hand and his power tools), and it gives me a place to display my most current or favorite issues of magazines. Here’s how you can make one for yourself at home.

You’ll need: two unfinished wooden frames (I got 16″x20″ from A.C. Moore, but any size will do), at least two colors of paint (I used a basic white acrylic, and Martha Stewart’s metallic gold), a foam brush for each paint color, eye hooks, invisible hanging wire, gold spray paint, and a drill.

Paint your initial colors onto the front and sides of your frame. I used thinner coats because I liked the look of the unfinished wood showing through.

Allow to dry completely.

Once dry, paint your accent color on the inside rim of each of the frames. This is optional – but I like the extra dimension it gives. I used gold accented on white, and white accented on gold.

While frames dry, spray paint all of the eye hooks gold on both sides. (If you can find gold ones the the store, buy those. I could only find silver, so spray painting was the alternative in order for it to match my color scheme).

Measure out distance between each eye hook and lightly mark on frame. I used four rows of wire on my horizontal frame, and five on my vertical (keep in mind the last row will be too low to the ground to use, so make sure you have enough hung higher).

Drill holes on inside of frame where eye hooks will go.

Begin to twist eye hook into pre-drilled holes with hands. Once it gets tougher to turn – a little secret to rotating it without scratching the paint of is to stick a screwdriver (or even a pen would work) inside the hook and rotate clockwise).

Finish turning the hook until completely in and loop faces towards the front of the frame.

Begin to tie a wire. To tie knot on first hook, loop wire through, double back over itself, and short wrap end of wire around the longer side 5 times. Then pull wire back through the first original hook and trim (knot instructions will most likely be located on the back of your package when purchased). From there, follow the diagram above, making sure to pull extra tight before tying off the wire at the end.