Cute & Creative Zines To Read

It’s International Zine Month, so what better time to read some zines, or even make you own! A zine is simply an independently-made publication and you’ll find them in all different formats on every topic imaginable. Here’s some cute and creative zines I’ve spotted to get you started.

I’ve been meaning to post about BonBon magazine (UK) for ages, after buying a couple of copies during lockdown, but better late than never! They’re up to issue 4 now and each issue is full of kawaii fashion & culture with a focus on body positivity, LGBTQ+ issues and mental health. As you can see, my copies came with lots of cute stickers too.

There are a lot of lockdown zines on Etsy with people sharing their experiences and starting creative projects. SPUD (UK) is a collaboration between 3 illustrators and their Slow Living issue includes guides to wild swimming, yoga, crafts, and building a bug hotel, plus optional set of postcards.

You surely can’t go wrong taking advice from a bunny! Honey’s Self Care Guide by sleepiestdesigns (UK) includes illustrated tips and you can add a matching sticker sheet too.

Bloom (US) is another self care zine that includes activities, colouring pages and DIY affirmations, plus proceeds help provide accessible doula care and creative self-care workshops locally.

Kristyna Baczynski aka kriski (UK) has so many beautiful and interesting zines that I really must place an order soon. I especially love the look of these seasonal pocket guides for discovering wild plant life but there are also comics, travel zines and a guide to zinemaking.

Expand your recipe list with Made With Love, a cookbook zine by arinndraws. It’s a digital download that includes 19 vegan/vegetarian recipes to try.

Katie Green Bean (US) is a prolific zinemaker and every issue of The Green Bean is available to download. There’s something for everyone as Katie writes about all kinds of topics from crafts and art to travel and nature.

If you’d like to start making zines and need some inspiration, Sarah Mirk once made a zine every day for a whole year! A Year of Zines (US) collects 100 of them and is sure to be a great resource to motivate you.

Have you been reading any good zines lately? You can also check out our Books, Comics & Zines section for more picks, or see the zines I’ve been favouriting on Etsy.