Neighborhood Zines

Recommended for ages 5+

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Create your own zine about your community.

Think about…

A zine (pronounced zeen), short for “magazine” or “fanzine”, is a homemade mini-magazine.

A zine can be about anything you’re interested in! What it’s about and what it looks like is completely up to you. Zines often include writing, drawing, and collaging but the sky’s the limit! It can be as simple or as complicated as you want. What all zines have in common is that their creators feel like they have something important to say that they would like to share with others.

Got kids under five? Fold two pieces of 8.5”x11” paper in half and staple the edge. Even for very young children mark-making in their own book offers great writing practice!

Today, we challenge you to create a zine about your neighborhood. What are your favorite things about your community? What makes your neighborhood special? What would you like everyone to know about your community? Share your ideas in your zine!

Make your own zine

Materials

  • Paper – blank or printed zine template
  • Things to draw with – markers, pencils, crayons
  • Scissors
  • Any other art supplies you have at home (stickers and stamps are fun)

Steps

1. Fold paper in half horizontally, then again vertically to make quarters, and fold one more time horizontally to make eights.

2. Open your paper so that it is folded in half. Cut halfway across the middle from the fold.

When you open your paper it should have a slit in the middle.

3. Fold your paper along the crease that has the slit. Hold the paper at either end, then push the ends in toward each other. 


Stuck on this step? Check this out for a video tutorial.

This should create an eight-page booklet.


4. Draw, write, and personalize your zine with any art supplies you have at home.

Take a photo of your zine! Share it with us using #OMCA, and see what others have created. 

Learn at Home