DIY Magazine Rack

I first saw this DIY magazine rack idea on the A Beautiful Mess blog last summer.  I've been on the hunt for one for a while, and eventually came to terms with the fact that 1) I wasn't going to spend a bunch of money on a magazine rack and 2) you can't find one at a store that works both on the ground and on the wall...so we made this one and LOVE how it turned out.

Here's how to make one of your own with a few of our own modifications to the original instructions found {here}...

Materials:
1"x3" wood for frame
Wood screws
Stereo Wire
Small metal washer
L-bracket hardware (4)
Paint or stain, if desired

Tools:
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Circular Saw
Kreg Jig (not required, but man these tools are one of the best inventions ever!)
Drill + Driver
Sandpaper
Wire Cutters
Paintbrush

Instructions:
1. Measure out the size of magazine rack you'd like.  I laid out several magazines to so I could visualize  how large I wanted it to be, and how much space I wanted between each "rung" of the rack.

2. It's a good idea to sketch things out so you know exactly what your plans are.  Do I always do this?  Nope...but I'm always glad when I do.  Our finished frame came to 13" wide (on the inside of the frame) and 35" high (from top to bottom, on the outside of the frame), which allows for 8 magazines to hang with about 3" between each "rung".

3. Measure out and cut wood into the four pieces of the frame with a circular saw.  Don't forget to measure twice and cut once (wink! wink!).

4. Side ends of wood into Kreg Jig vice and drill holes with the guide.  (If you don't have a Kreg Jig (or awesome neighbors who always let you borrow theirs...) you'll drill through the outside of the frame to connect the pieces or use a nail gun if you have that.)

Dang, look at those pretty Kreg Jig holes...

5. Now assemble your magazine rack frame by screwing all four sides together.

6. Once the frame is assembled, it's time to measure and drill your holes for the wire to be strung through.  On both outer long edges of the frame, measure out your string of holes in the middle and mark with a pencil.  I started holes 2.5" down from the top, then did holes every 3" after that - a total of 11 holes on each side.  Use a drill bit that will accommodate your wire's circumference, but not much larger.

7. Sand the frame down on all sides and edges so you don't get any splinters, and dust off the frame in preparation to stain or paint (or leave it as is for a more modern Scandinavian look).

8. We chose stain for our frame...so we brushed it with the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then paper-toweled it off.

9. While the stain or paint dries, you can splice your wire.  This is the wire we used...you can buy it at a hardware store or an electronics store.

Just splice it at the top and pull it apart.  You get to choose if you want to use the copper-colored side or the silver -colored side.  Both are pretty metallic options, so you can't go wrong!

10. Once the stain or paint is dry, tie a knot at the end of your wire.  String the un-knotted end of the wire through the top hole along one of your frame's sides, and pull it through to the knotted end.  Thread the wire from side to side, back and forth across the frame.  Pull very tautly, as you lace it through the frame.

When you get to the last hole of the frame, pull the wire through to the outside of the frame and tautly wrap it around the edge of the base.  We used a washer and screw to hold the wire tightly in place along the base of the frame.  My husband drove the screw down as I pulled the wire tightly against the frame's edge.  This will allow us to tighten the "rungs" over time, if the wire ever loosens a bit.

11.  This part is optional, but it adds a nice industrial look to the magazine rack.  Grab your L-brackets and screw them into the four outside corners of the frame. (You could use elbow brackets and attach those to the outer corners of the frame too...just another idea for some aesthetic appeal)

12. Now you can lean your magazine rack against the wall, or hang it on the wall to free up some floor space.  You choose!

There you have it, friends!  If you have any questions about how to assemble one of these suckers, just drop us a line in the comment section below.  Hope you enjoy your DIY magazine rack as much as we do ours.  Be forewarned, you may have requests for these as Christmas gifts...