DIY Plywood & Leather Magazine Rack

I’m back from the most incredible 10 day trip across Utah with some family & friends! As always, it’s hard to get back into the swing of things even though I love a good routine. Thankfully, I had put this project together before I left for the trip so I could be a bit less behind on work when I came home. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been slowly adding more DIY projects to the living room and this is the most recent project I’ve added! I’ve been trying to replace some Netflix binging with more reading so a magazine rack in a cozy reading corner is the perfect place for some of the new magazines I’ve been into lately. What you need:
-Plywood
-Table saw
-1″x2″x6′ board
-Miter saw
-Tape measure
-Pencil
-Drill
-Screws
-Countersink bit
-Leather strap
-Scissors
-Leather punch
-Finishing washer

How to make it:
-Cut plywood down to size using a table saw. (12″x34″)
-Cut two 12″ pieces of 1″x2″ board using miter saw.
-Cut one 32.5″ piece of 1″x2″ board using miter saw.
-Lay your plywood with the back facing. Along the sides and bottom, measure 3/8″ in from the edge of the board and pre-drill holes for the screws. (About five along the bottom and three along the sides.)
-Attach one side – lining up along the sides and screwing through from the back to secure.
Repeat for the bottom piece and the side.
-For added support, I predrilled where the corners of the sides pieces and bottom meet once it was together and added a screw there.
-Drill two holes through the upper front part of the plywood to hang the board – use a countersink bit to drill into the wood a bit so your screw will sit flat against the plywood. 8″ in from the inside of the side boards, 3.5″ down from the top.
(***You can measure where your studs are in your wall where you will be hanging the magazine rack and mark on your board two spots where you will be able to drill into these – or if you don’t want to consider that, you can use drywall anchors before hanging – which is what I did with the measurements listed above.)
-Take a strap of leather (at least 34″long) and punch a small hole about 3/8″ in on the center of one end.
-Line the leather up with the side of the wood 3.5″ down from the top and make a mark inside the circle.
-Predrill a hole here.
-Put the leather back in place, lay a finishing washer on top, and then screw in place.
-Stretch the leather tightly across to the other side. Put a mark on the leather where to cut it so that it lines up with the far edge.
-Repeat previous steps from other end of leather.
-Attach to wall.
xo. Caitlin