Zines are self-published/DIY mini-magazines and books. The wonderful thing about zines is that they can be about pretty much anything, incorporate almost any art form (writing, drawing, comics, collage, stamps, stickers), and can be as complicated or as simple to make as you want! Easy to make and free of rules, zines are a great tool for self-expression. Lots of zine forms are designed to be easily reproduced on a copy machine or at-home printer to keep, gift, trade, and sell, but you can make one-of-a-kind zines too!

Follow the steps below to make your very own quaranzine from a single sheet of paper about your life during the coronavirus pandemic:

Download the MOHAI Quaranzine Activity PDF

Download July’s Quaranzine Prompts PDF

Materials

• Paper – You can use any size paper, as long as it’s a rectangle. The smaller the piece of paper, the smaller the zine. If you want to use decorative or scrap paper, fold it so the blank side faces out OR use what’s already printed on it as a fun background.
• Scissors
• Pen/pencil

Optional:

• Drawing supplies – colored pencils, crayons, markers
• Scrap paper – envelopes, old books, newspaper, misprints, magazines, etc.
• Random thin/flat materials – foil, ribbon, pressed leaves, etc.
• Glue/tape
• Stickers
• Stamps

Instructions:

1. First, make a small book out of a single sheet of paper! Start by folding your paper into 8 even rectangles, with the short edge folded in half and the long edge folded into quarters.

2. Fold it in half “hamburger style” and cut the folded edge to the middle.

3. Open and refold in half the other way — “hot dog style” or four rectangles in one row.

4. Holding the paper so the folded edge is pointing up, pinch both ends and push them together so the cut opens up.

5. Once the left and right sides meet in the middle, wrap your pages around each other.

6. It doesn’t really matter which part becomes the inside and the outside of the book, but if it helps imagine and plan your zine, here is a layout template you can use.

7. Now, fill your book! This one-sheet book has 6 interior pages plus a front and back cover. You can reflect on one of the following prompts per page (or even make a whole zine with just one of the prompts). Draw, write, make a comic, collage, and more — it’s your choice!

• What feels or looks different in your home/neighborhood?
• How do you feel about schools being closed?
• What’s a new routine you have?
• What views do you have out your window?
• What’s something that’s surprised you?
• What do you miss the most?
• What’s something bringing you joy or comfort?
• What are you looking forward to?

Ta da! Now that you’ve made one, you can keep making them on a regular basis to make a record of changes as they happen. If you’d like to explore more zine formats, we recommend the the accordion book guide from Materials for the Arts (MFTA).

Tag us on Instagram @mohaiseattle to share your #quaranzine with MOHAI!