8/3

Magazine Rack DIY

Budget: $$, D.I.Y. Project, Home Decor, Living Room, Weekend Project, Wood working
By Josh Rhodes

DIY Magazine RackWant to learn to make your own modern magazine rack? Today's your lucky day! Husband and wife team Josh and Sarah are here to teach you how…

Materials1Supplies Needed: one 2x3x96" stud, 14' of electrical cord (just like you see on a lamp cord). You'll have to ask an employee at a hardware store to cut it for you. four 3" screws, 2 shades of paint, sandpaper, two pieces of galvanized plumber's tape, with 2-3 holes in each.

Tools needed: a saw, a drill, a ruler

Step1-2Step 1. Measure and cut your stud into two 16" long pieces, and two 29" pieces. The width of your magazine rack is going to be 16", but you can adjust the height however you like – it doesn't have to be 29"! After you cut, line them up to make sure they are even.  (*Note – to those of you that don't have a saw, did you know that if you go to Lowes or Home Depot to purchase your supplies, you can have them cut your stud for you there for a few extra cents? Just give them your measurements.) Step 2. Taking your four pieces, arrange them on the ground. Begin pre-drilling and then screwing in each side. 

Magazinerack-1928Once all the sides are screwed together, we need to mark where our holes are going to be. Decide which end is going to be the top of your magazine rack, and start from there. For this tutorial, we're going to have 8 rungs on our magazine rack.

Step3-6Step 3. For both the top and the bottom, measure where the middle is on your stud. Step 4. Using a ruler, draw a line down the middle connecting your two marks, so that your holes will be centered. Step 5. For the first rung, mark 4 inches down from the top of your rack, and then mark every two inches until you have 8 marks. Repeat your measurements exactly on the other side. Step 6. Drill a hole each place where you've marked. After you're done, sand down your holes and sweep the sawdust away. Step 7. Lay your magazine rack down onto some old cardboard or newspaper. Time to paint! We decided to go with two different summery shades. I love that you can get small portions of paint now.

Magazinerack-1964Paint your inside one color, and then your outside your other color! Afterwards, while the paint is still wet, use a toothpick to make sure your drilled holes are clear of paint on both the inside and the outside. Let it dry overnight!

Magazinerack-1976Now, the fun part!Take your electrical cord and pull it in half down the middle. You're only going to use half of your cording, so save the other half for later in case you make another one! 

ThreadingAffix one end of your cord to the top outside of your rack using screws and something to hold it down. (We used pieces of galvanized plumber's tape, or you can knot the end for a different look.) begin threading your cord through the holes. (If the metal piece bugs you, you can paint over it.)

As you're threading, pull it as tight as you can! Make sure it doesn't sag or dip anywhere. After you're done threading, double check to make sure that each rung is as tight as it can possibly be. Affix the last end to your rack just like you did the first end, and chop off the remaining part of your cord. 

*A note on our electrical cord choice – you can try to use something different if you would rather, but we experimented with twine and with metal wire cording. Metal wire cording was really difficult to work with as you thread it through the holes – it unravels, bends, and shows kinks easily. Twine tends to stretch and would give you saggy magazine rungs. If a magazine rack is something you hope to have last you for awhile, the electrical cord is durable and easy to work with.

How To Build A Magazine RackThere you have it! It's ready to hang magazines on! You can make several in different sizes, as long as the width is the same, and you allow an extra 20" of cord for each additional rung. 

Thanks so much Josh and Sarah! This project is the perfect mix of modern and handmade.

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