Have you ever had a burst of creativity, but no energy to haul yourself to the arts store to buy supplies? Have you ever had the desire to create, but lack the desire to search around your house for misplaced markers or your favourite tube of glitter? As someone who loves a good creative project, I wouldn’t wish scenarios like these on my greatest enemy, which is why zine kits make great gifts for absolutely anyone. What exactly is a zine kit? It’s a perfect solution to the problems above that just so happens to come in a package stuffed to the brim with patterned paper, glue, jewels, and much more. As the name suggests, this little package gives the receiver all the tools they need to make a zine (which is a usually non-professional and small circulation publication that revolves around a topic of passion or interest for the creator). It’s a great gift for the friend who has everything or someone who has a known craft obsession. Here’s how to make it.

1. Gather supplies for your kit.

Search around your home or go to a craft store to pick up the items that will go inside your zine kit. Think about the tools you use for your own art, and put those inside your zine kit.

 Supplies ideas to get you started:

-      Glitter

-      Small or single paints and paintbrushes

-      Gel pens, glitter pens, fancy colored pencils

-      Patterned paper (origami paper works well)

2. Fold the zine.

This step can be optional if you believe that the person you are gifting the zine kit to will want to fold or make their own blank zine. However, you can also pre-make the blank zine by following this guide.

3. Package your kit.

Like the past two steps, this one is also up to your creative interpretation. To make your zine kit transportable and convenient, you will need to package the contents in some way. Gather the gifts for your zine kit, and put them in a container (wooden boxes, mason jars, cardboard boxes, and Ziploc bags all work). Make sure to decorate the outside of the package for extra style. I personally used a mason jar for my own zine kit.

Now you’ve made your very own zine kit!

After you’ve finished the steps above, all that’s left to do is make a card and prepare to become famous for your creative gift ideas. Go you!