02/03 DIY

Custom Magazine Holder

Customized IKEA Kasset magazine holder

I’ve been working on updating my work-space, hence the recent organization and storage related projects.  Besides that, I’m a fan of organization, judging by how the Container Store makes me squeal and shown by how I’ve already put up multiple tutorials related to boxes (I love boxes).

What I love even more is keeping it all affordable.  No one out there doesn’t like spending less, right?  So instead of shelling out for a designer magazine file, I went with a blank slate  and decorated it myself.  *Cue IKEA entrance doors opening with beam of light shining through*

I got the IKEA Kassett magazine file pack in white.  I only wish the hardware came in gold, but that’s okay.  We can do something about that.

IKEA Kasset magazine holder taped and foiled

I applied painters tape around the hardware, including along the inside edges at the opening, then covered all the white surfaces with aluminum foil.  This is a bit of a pain, can’t lie about it, but if it’s gold you want, it’s tape you must do.

After spray painting the hardware with Rustoleum gold spray paint (affiliate link), I tackled the studs on the back.

Painting studs gold

I initially wasn’t going to paint them because taping around them would be more trouble than I thought it was worth, but then I realized they were the size of a regular hole puncher.  So I punched a hole in a piece of paper and used it to spray paint each stud one by one.  It didn’t create the cleanest paint job, but I’m still pretty proud of that move!

Removing the tape was a slow and careful process since I didn’t want to risk ripping the magazine file surface, but I made sure to peel the tape back as horizontal to the surface as possible and all turned out well.

Next, I drew on the design with a Sharpie.

Drawing lines

A major benefit of these squiggly lines is that they don’t require any type of precision, so they’re hard to mess up.  They’re also pretty fun to draw, and the process is oddly soothing.

Finally, I spray painted the remaining silver hardware, which thankfully came separately from the magazine file.

Gold hardware

I sprayed all sides and after they dried completely, I secured them on the magazine file corners.

Back angle of magazine holder

All done!  It’ll be storing my BHG magazines, which by the way, I have no idea how I got the subscription and I’m sure I’m not paying for them.  Not complaining.

Custom IKEA box and magazine holder

Oh yeah, I also got a Kassett box pack.  Told you I love boxes!  The label plate conveniently came separately, but everything else I had to tape and spray paint the same way I did with the magazine holder.  Hopefully I’ll show them displayed once I’m done updating my desk area ;).

I’m pretty sure I’ll renew my BHG sub whenever this one’s over, but other than that I’ve never really subscribed to any magazines.  This makes me wonder… Do you have any magazine subscriptions?  Or has the internet made them obsolete?  Maybe you could recommend a magazine I might enjoy checking out!

 

42 comments on “Custom Magazine Holder”

  1. Beeeeautiful! I love this. I love your aluminum foil technique. Gotta remember that one. I subscribe to House Beautiful and HGTV magazine (but haven’t got that one yet). They are really so cheap. And there is something awesome about areal in your hands magazine.

  2. I’m trying to reorganize my work-space too. I’m actually thinking of completely remodeling one of our spare rooms into my home office. I really love what you did with these magazine holders. So fun!

  3. Whaat! How on earth did you score a free BHG subscription? I randomly receive ‘Parenting’ magazine or something, which is essentially useless since I don’t have any children. Love your idea with the magazine holder! I have the Kassett boxes but didn’t think to update the design. I sense a perfect job for my gold sharpie :)

  4. Alot of times they offer buy one subscription send one to a friend. One of your friends or family members more than likely had it sent to you.

  5. These came out great. Definitely going to try something similar when I redo my office space. As for the magazine subscriptions, I’m still a very old fashioned girl and yes, I love turning those actual pages. I have tried to get into the digital versions, but it’s just not the same and I feel like they are often more expensive than the mail version. For home magazines I’m a big fan of Elle Decor and HGTV.

  6. Wow! These are beautiful magazine holders! It does sound like a lot of work to spray paint the metal, but the results are outstanding!

  7. I love Martha Stewart’s magazine– always fresh idea’s and helpful how to’s. And I know it’s a catalog– but I love my Pottery Barn Magazine for ideas and inspiration too!

  8. I absolutely love this. I tried to do the same thing with the Ikea magazineholders, but used montana gold instead with their metalprimer. But it scratches right off! Contacted their support and they said that sanding it before spraying is ideal. Well, I can’t be doing that with those small pieces and can’t get rustoleum here :( So how does the paint stay on yours? I could just scratch with a nail and it left a mark showing the silver underneath. Maybe that’s how it is for everyone and I’m just demanding too much?

    1. Hi Katarina! I haven’t tried scratching at mine, and to be honest, I avoid doing the “scratch test” on anything that won’t be undergoing scratching on a regular basis, and in general don’t spray paint things that are going to be abrasively worn out like that. Something I like to use for extra protection sometimes is a few light layers of clear acrylic spray as a top coat. For me though, this felt unnecessary on details as small as the ones on these magazine holders, so I held off on it, and they’ve been doing fine. If you really need them to be scratch proof, try the acrylic spray!

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