Dear Diary – Confessions of a Magazineaholic

I have a confession to make…I’m addicted to magazines. I’m subscribed to so many at this point I don’t even know for sure which ones. I’m always a little surprised when I peek in my mailbox and see which publication is inside.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

Not only do I buy them, I literally can’t get rid of them. It’s impossible for me to imagine throwing away such great pieces of information, fashion, and art. I have magazines upon magazines shoved in every nook and cranny in my room. I see it as collecting, like snow globes or coffee cups. The way I see it, they will be something of legends one day. Just think, if you had the change to flip through a Vogue from the 1950s, wouldn’t you do it?

Nevertheless, I decided that its unfair to my vogues and W’s to be kept away. I decided to put them to use.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

I got this idea last summer during my studies in Paris. I was taking a course in French fashion and our final project was to create a mood board using the ideas and words that we had learned throughout the class. I had so much fun on this project and it made me start to think that maybe I could put my magazines to good use.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

I took some of my lesser loved magazines and created a mood board for my room here in Paris. It’s given my room a little Lydia flair and honestly made it feel more like home!

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

I’ve written down a step-by-step of how I made my collages, but honestly, it’s up to you! The key is to make whatever inspires you and that will make you happy to look at.

1. First things first. Pick out your magazines.

Flip through and make sure this is one you’re okay cutting up. Would you want to reread any of the articles? Are there products mentioned you want to check out? Does this issue particularly appeal to you? If the answer to all 3 is no, you have your source.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

2. Step two, go through each magazine page by page.

Find pictures, ads, phrases that catch your eye. I always try to find big letters as well because I like adding in words to my collages.

3. Third: cut, cut, cut

I like to mix up the style of pieces. Sometimes I’ll get super detailed and cut out the outline, but then I’ll leave other pieces square.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

4. Arrange and rearrange.

I normally do this on the floor so I have a flat space to work on. Chances are you’re not going to get it right the first time, so taking this time to play around with the pieces will make sure you have everything where you want it.

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Photo credit: Lydia Brooks

5. Glue that sucker down

If you’re doing a wall, make sure you have an adhesive that won’t hurt that paint (trust me, I learned that one the hard way). If you’re doing a notebook, consider a clear cover on top to make sure that everything stays intact.

6. Post that baby!

I really hope some of you all endeavor to create your own collages and, if you do, be proud and post that baby! And send them to me so I can see your creations!

À la prochaine, Lydia

Lydia Brooks

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