Zine Making
Fold paper, fill it with opinions, staple it. You're published.
creativecraftysocialFree1 hourdifficulty 1/5
A zine is a tiny self-published booklet about whatever you want. Fold a single sheet of paper into eight pages, fill them with drawings, rants, poems, or collage, and you've got a zine. No editor, no gatekeeper, no word count. Just your brain on paper.
How to start
- 1Take one sheet of A4 or letter paper. Fold it in half three times, then cut one slit to create an 8-page booklet.
- 2Search 'one-page zine fold' on YouTube if the folding confuses you — it takes 30 seconds.
- 3Pick a topic: a rant, a how-to, a collection of drawings, your hot takes on breakfast cereals.
- 4Fill each page. Mix text, drawings, and cut-out images. Messy is the aesthetic.
- 5Make 3 copies at a library or office printer. Give them to people.
What you'll need
- One sheet of paperEssentialFree
- Pen or markerEssentialFree
- Scissors (for the fold-cut)EssentialFree
- Stapler (for multi-page zines)Nice to have~$5
Where to learn more
Plot twists
Ways to spice this up when the basics get boring.
- Make a zine in a language you don't speak. Use Google Translate recklessly.
- Create a collaborative zine: each person gets one page, no one sees the others.
- Make a zine that's just reviews of water from different taps in your building.
- Do a 'one-hour zine challenge' — concept to finished product, no editing.
- Leave your zines in random public places like tiny paper bombs of creativity.
ADHD notes
One sheet of paper means the project has a built-in limit. You literally cannot overcommit — there are only 8 pages.
Fun fact
The zine movement exploded in the 1970s punk scene, but the concept goes back to sci-fi fans in the 1930s who called them 'fanzines.'
Similar vibes
If this one didn't land, try one of these.