So my new obsession is rolling magazine paper.
There are many reasons for this:
First: it's recycling in the best sense!
Second: Magazine pages are full of so many colors
Third: the materials are dirt cheap (often free) and glue sticks are on sale everywhere this time of year.
Fourth: The final result is really neat!
Fifth (and final): It's a feel good project because of all of the above!
So I saw a tutorial on making a basket from magazine pages and loved the idea. It was from that fabulous book: Big Ass book of crafts. I loved the idea, had to it do and so set about rolling magazine pages.
First step was to cut the magazine pages into 2-3" strips. I'd recomend using a paper slicer for this, otherwise you might just give up in the first 15 min. This is a time consuming project but it's so very worth it!
Then starting at the corner you roll the page, I used a small knitting needle to roll the paper. When you're almost done rolling you apply glue liberally (glue sticks are ideal) and finish off. Now you have a rod with points on each end.
Now you can use the rods as they are for crafts such as this picture frame.
I mounted the rods onto one of those simple pine framed mirrors from IKEA which I had painted black.
Or if you're gunning for the really labor intensive stuff keep going. Take the rod and flatten it. Using the knitting needle (or what ever you used before) roll the rod into a spiral being sure to glue the last 2 or 3 inches. Hold the spiral in place for at least 30 sec if not more (the stiffer your paper the longer you should hold it)
Ta Da! You have a spiral! Now make about 200 of these and you can begin constructing your basket.
The base of the basket is just one giant spiral made by adding rods and rolling it all into one big spiral. It helps if you slip the rods into one another to help secure them. You can decide how big you want the base to be, but keep in mind that the bigger it is the more sturdy it will be as well.
However if the idea of spending hours and hours rolling paper (while watching movies of course) does not sound like your cup of tea, try something smaller, like this necklace.
Whatever you decide to do with your spirals, the next step will require every crafters favorite weapon... the GLUE GUN!
Nothing else seems to do the trick.
The glue needs to dry quickly and hold fast.
Now the book where I got the idea recommended you use a stainless steel container like a wastepaper basket or something as a mold. I didn't have one and just went at it with reckless abandon... a method that seems to have served me well for some time now.
So armed with this new information perhaps you'll face your junk mail catalogs with a whole new attitude!
MAKE CRAFTS! NOT WAR!
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