How to Make a One-Page Paper Zine

Learn how to turn a single sheet of paper into an eight-page mini-magazine to share your stories, art, or comics. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Fold your paper. Place your paper flat on a table. Fold it in half like a hamburger (short side to short side), then fold it in half again, and one more time. When you unfold it, you should see eight equal rectangular sections.
2. Make the cut. Fold the paper in half like a hamburger one last time. With the folded edge at the bottom, use your scissors to cut along the center crease from the folded edge only halfway to the middle of the paper. Ask a grown-up to help make sure you stop exactly in the center.
3. Create the spine. Unfold the paper completely. Fold it in half the long way (hot dog style). Hold the ends and push them toward each other until the cut in the middle opens up into a diamond shape. Keep pushing until the edges meet to form a cross shape, then flatten it into a book.
4. Fill your pages. Now that you have a tiny book, use your markers to add a title on the front cover and fill the inside pages with your drawings, stories, or jokes.