Publish a zine
Create and publish a simple zine using drawings, short writing, collage, and photocopies; design pages, assemble, and share copies with friends.
About this activity
Create and publish a simple zine using drawings, short writing, collage, and photocopies; design pages, assemble, and share copies with friends.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Choose a theme for your zine like pets space jokes recipes or short stories.
- 2
Step 2
Gather all the materials listed and put them on a clean workspace.
- 3
Step 3
Decide how many pages your zine will have.
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Step 4
Write one short idea for each page on a scrap sheet in the order you want them.
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Step 5
Draw pictures for each page using your pencil.
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Step 6
Add short captions or tiny stories to each page with your pencil or coloring materials.
- 7
Step 7
Cut out pictures or words from magazines and glue the best pieces onto your pages for collage.
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Step 8
Create and decorate a cover page that shows your zine title and a fun drawing.
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Step 9
Arrange all pages in the order you planned with the cover on top.
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Step 10
Fold the stacked pages in half along the middle to make your zine shape.
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Step 11
Trim any uneven edges with scissors so the pages line up neatly.
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Step 12
Bind the folded zine by stapling or taping along the spine to hold pages together.
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Step 13
Make photocopies of your finished zine so you have extra copies to give away.
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Step 14
Share your finished zine on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do you create and publish a simple zine with a child?
Start by choosing a simple theme and decide how many pages your zine will have. Have the child draw, write short pieces, and add collages on separate sheets. Arrange pages in order, then fold sheets together or scan and lay out digitally. For a basic single-sheet zine, fold a single page into eighths and staple the center. Make photocopies or print multiples, assemble, and let the child sign and distribute copies to friends or family.
What materials are needed to make a child-friendly zine?
Gather plain paper (printer or sketch paper), pencils, erasers, colored markers or crayons, glue stick, scissors, old magazines for collage, and stickers for decoration. You’ll also need a stapler or needle-and-thread for binding and access to a photocopier or printer to make copies. Optionally use a scanner or smartphone camera and a simple layout program if you want to edit or resize pages digitally.
What ages are suitable for making and publishing a zine?
Zine-making suits ages about 6 to 14: younger kids (6–8) can draw and dictate text with adult help, while older kids (9–14) can write, design pages, and handle assembly more independently. Toddlers can join in with collage pieces and stamping when supervised. Adapt tasks to skill level so everyone contributes and learns, with adults helping with cutting, photocopying, or binding for safety.
What are the benefits and safety tips for children making zines?
Making zines boosts creativity, storytelling, fine motor skills, and confidence in sharing work with peers. It also teaches sequencing and design basics. For safety, supervise scissors and staplers, limit photocopier use to adults or library staff, and discuss privacy before sharing personal info. Encourage positive feedback and offer alternative sharing like scanned PDFs to reduce waste and reach distant friends.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of a stapler if we can't bind the zine?
If you don't have a stapler, bind the folded zine by sewing along the spine with a needle and thread, using a hole punch and tying yarn, or firmly taping the spine with strong tape as the instructions suggest.
My pages don't fold evenly—how do I fix alignment and trimming?
After you fold the stacked pages in half, press the zine under a heavy book to flatten, mark a straight edge with a ruler, then trim any uneven edges with sharp scissors or a craft knife before binding.
How can I adapt this zine project for younger kids or older kids?
For younger children, simplify by making fewer pages, using stickers and pre-cut magazine pictures for collage while an adult handles folding and stapling, and for older kids add more pages with short stories or recipes, detailed drawings, and make photocopies to distribute.
How can we make the zine more unique or publish-worthy?
Personalize and enhance your zine by creating a bold cover page with layered magazine cutouts, adding hand-lettered captions and a small table of contents, then make clean photocopies after trimming and include an author note before sharing on DIY.org.