Help me make my own wall-mounted zine boxes
October 29, 2013 12:33 PM Subscribe
I have several boxes of zines that I'd like to get off my floor and display more publicly. I love the idea of modular boxes like these, but of course I have some particular snowflake storage needs and limitations. Help me modify this system!
My housemate and I are both big zine readers, and we'd love to have some kind of publicly-displayed zine library. We don't have much floor space for a whole separate zine bookshelf, plus smaller zines tend to get lost in those giant magazine shelving boxes. We do, however, have a decent amount of space for some sort of wall-mounted open box scheme, like the one linked above. I love the look of the linked boxes, but I have some doubts about adapting them for me personally:
1) I don't have access to a decent set of tools, and I'm absolutely useless at woodworking. Are there pre-made, not-ridiculously-expensive, wall mountable boxes that would work for my purposes? Ways to make boxes out of cardboard or other more forgiving and readily available materials? I do have, or could easily get, all manner of scissors, box cutters, exacto knives, etc.
2) I don't expect to stay in my current house forever. I'd like to make something that could be taken off the wall and packed/compressed to move easily, or thrown out and rebuilt anew at a new house with cheap/easily findable materials.
3) I can't hang anything that will damage the walls to an extent that I don't get my security deposit back.
Can I even make a workable box system given these limitations? How would I go about doing it?
My housemate and I are both big zine readers, and we'd love to have some kind of publicly-displayed zine library. We don't have much floor space for a whole separate zine bookshelf, plus smaller zines tend to get lost in those giant magazine shelving boxes. We do, however, have a decent amount of space for some sort of wall-mounted open box scheme, like the one linked above. I love the look of the linked boxes, but I have some doubts about adapting them for me personally:
1) I don't have access to a decent set of tools, and I'm absolutely useless at woodworking. Are there pre-made, not-ridiculously-expensive, wall mountable boxes that would work for my purposes? Ways to make boxes out of cardboard or other more forgiving and readily available materials? I do have, or could easily get, all manner of scissors, box cutters, exacto knives, etc.
2) I don't expect to stay in my current house forever. I'd like to make something that could be taken off the wall and packed/compressed to move easily, or thrown out and rebuilt anew at a new house with cheap/easily findable materials.
3) I can't hang anything that will damage the walls to an extent that I don't get my security deposit back.
Can I even make a workable box system given these limitations? How would I go about doing it?
What about some kind of wall-mounted literature holders? You can get those at an office supply store.
posted by radioamy at 3:04 PM on October 29, 2013
posted by radioamy at 3:04 PM on October 29, 2013
Wooden wine boxes are great for this--they're nice, wall-mountable, come in different zine-friendly sizes, and you can just screw them straight into a stud. You can throw them out when they're done, or pack zines in them. Take a look at the top right example on this page, or just sift around Pinterest. I've gotten a lot for free from a fancy wine store around the corner. Places that sell cheaper wines tend not to get rid of their wine boxes as much (more of their wine comes in cardboard cartons, and they often save what wine boxes they get for display), so asking nicer places often pays off better. The one around the corner from me puts their wine boxes in a nook in the parking lot so I don't even have to go in and ask.
This does require a couple of tools--a stud finder and a drill are handy, easy to borrow from friends, and really easy to get the hang of. You can put spackle or joint compound in the holes when you move out--if the walls are white, the spackle will be invisible. Otherwise, if your landlord isn't due to paint the place anyway as per local law, you can do some quick touch-up in just a few minutes. All this will add a negligible hour or two of maintenance (hanging them on the walls, taking them down and doing touch up), so don't let unfamiliar tools/processes intimidate you!
posted by tapir-whorf at 3:14 PM on October 29, 2013
This does require a couple of tools--a stud finder and a drill are handy, easy to borrow from friends, and really easy to get the hang of. You can put spackle or joint compound in the holes when you move out--if the walls are white, the spackle will be invisible. Otherwise, if your landlord isn't due to paint the place anyway as per local law, you can do some quick touch-up in just a few minutes. All this will add a negligible hour or two of maintenance (hanging them on the walls, taking them down and doing touch up), so don't let unfamiliar tools/processes intimidate you!
posted by tapir-whorf at 3:14 PM on October 29, 2013
Staples has wall-mounted file holders. And, not to sidetrack things, I use these to hold pot lids in my kitchen.
posted by sixpack at 7:11 AM on October 30, 2013
posted by sixpack at 7:11 AM on October 30, 2013
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Or, go to your closest tap plastics, and pick up some brochure holders. They'll even make you custom sizes if you are willing to pay for it.
posted by tinymegalo at 12:55 PM on October 29, 2013 [1 favorite]