Handmade: Write a Zine or Make a Journal

Zines (short for magazine or fanzine) are self-published books that include different media forms: collage, illustrations, comic strips, and words.  A zine can be a book of poetry or a story, it can be a guide book or a collection of fairy tales – the sky’s the limit!  Zines can also be photocopied and bound so that you can produce multiple copies.  Here’s a short documentary on Zines…

Making a zine is a rewarding, creative process and can certainly be a part of your gift giving plans for the holidays. Need some inspiration for your zine-making adventures? Check out the Flywheel Arts Collective in Easthampton, MA.  The Flywheel Arts Collective has a community Zine library and cafe with over 3,000 zines, featuring many from Western Massachusetts!  Flywheel is a collective of art and poetry that allows people to share their work with others in their local community.  It’s a great community resource for those looking to feel inspired through grassroots art and literature that aims to inspire, provoke thought and engage the community. 

Handmade Journals

Another option for a handmade gift that comes from the heart of language arts and literacy is to make a journal to give (or keep!).  Encouraging your children to absorb the world and then springing their ideas onto the page is the gold standard in creative and personal development. What better gift to (or from) them than a handmade journal! Read on how to see how to set up this creative outlet and how to make it a family involved project in our post, Journal-Making: Inspiration for Writing & Drawing.

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