Since Country Living debuted in 1978, we've published our fair share of magazine covers, featuring everything from log cabins to carved pumpkins to cows in party hats, not to mention the occasional celebrity (Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, Luke Grimes...).
Still, we know there's a whole lot of creativity out there beyond the confines of our office, so we thought we'd open up the cover to the budding creative talent to be found across the country. That's right! If you're 16 or under, download the cover template, then try your hand at designing your very own magazine cover. Feel free to use crayons, markers, watercolors, paper scraps, you name it!
Here are a few things that make for a great cover, in our humble opinion.
Country Charm: The magazine is called Country Living, after all. Farm animals, country icons (hello, Dolly Parton!), and pretty pastoral settings are always reader favorites. Consider this: What does the word "country" mean to you?
Sense of the Season: Our readers love to feel immersed in the season, whether it's spring wildflowers or fall foliage. Think about what time of year you'd like to convey in your cover.
Creative Sparkle: Think outside the box! Maybe it's a quilt featuring an assortment of tiny illustrations! Maybe it's a twist on Grant Wood's American Gothic. Maybe it's a collage of paper scraps arranged to look like fireflies in a mason jar.
Got it? Good! E-mail your completed artwork to countryliving@hearst.com any time between now and July 30th and it may appear on our social media feeds or in the magazine! (Don't forget to include your name, age, and location in the e-mail.)
