i
from cover to cover, a look at repurposing pages written and designed by
Sarah O. Hutto
Š 2012 by Sarah O. Hutto All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Sarah Hutto. Interior and exterior design by Sarah Hutto saraholiviadesigns.com Photography by Edward Fieder Printed in the United States of America
Contents Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Definition Jewelry. . . . . . . . . 7 Binder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Nail Art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 iPad Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Book Spine Crafts. . . . . . . . . 23 Wallets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Book Cover Purse. . . . . . . . . 31 Shadow Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Collab: Megan Welch . . . . . . 39 Decorative Trees. . . . . . . . . . 43 Gift Bags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Journals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Collab: Savannah Harrison. . 55 Paper Rose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Ornaments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Papier-mâchÊ. . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Mini Paper Roses. . . . . . . . . . 71 Woven Place Mats . . . . . . . . 75 Candle Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Curled Paper Wreath. . . . . . 83 Book Cover Frame. . . . . . . . 87 Hollowed Books. . . . . . . . . . 91
Acknowledgments This book was not created solely by
And, again, to Savannah who sat
Edward Fieder shot most of the
my hands. Many people put time and
down one day across from me for lunch,
photos in the book, and was more than
effort into my senior thesis, and to these
wearing the necklace that solidified my
patient through my scheduling conflicts.
people I cannot express enough thanks.
goals. That day changed the course of
Every shot was stunning and I was more
my semester.
than pleased with his professionalism.
First, my parents for supporting me throughout the entire process (and for
My roommate, Lynsi, made the rose
To Scott Walker for not only giving me
my mother, who inspired me with the
when she probably could have been
his input as I needed it, but also for being
first project.)
studying, which ended up as the cover
there for me when I realized just how
design and my favorite project. She also
daunting publishing a book really is.
My sister Laura helped and even created many of the projects, showing
forgave the constant disaster that was
once again how big her heart is and
our living room due to this process.
how deep her patience runs. To my collaborators, Savannah
My two models are Emily Jackson and Laura Hutto. Thanks goes to these ladies
Harrison and Megan Welch, for adding a
for not questioning me when I asked
needed variety to the project list.
them to model book pages.
And to anyone else I may have missed (you know who you are): I appreciate you. Thank you for allowing this to become reality.
1
2
Introduction Books are an escape into a different reality.
On the other hand, I also enjoy crafting.
Using the time given to me during my
Within the pages of a well written book,
There’s nothing quite like discovering an idea,
final semester in college, I explored the uses
readers can find solace in the characters and
executing it, and then passing it along for
of the pages and covers of books that we
stories that either mirror their own lives or
another person to try.
would otherwise donate or throw away. By
take them far from it. To me, books have always been a source of
My theme for my senior thesis
thinking of books as a material for a future art
project revolves around books and crafting.
project, new pieces can form to be something
creativity and inspiration. After I complete a
Not only their tangibility, but hopefully the
beautiful with the written word.
story that kept me captivated, I feel motivated
wisdom they also hold inside their pages.
to push further into its pages and concepts.
Now that books have evolved into digital
This project encompasses many aspects of my personality: design, reading, crafting, and
I research, write, design, and create based on
devices, the physical copies are fading into
sharing ideas. I hope that it will show who I
my feelings and curiosities.
nostalgia. We hold them dearly, but how
am within its pages, and that it may too one
practical are they?
day be repurposed. – Sarah Hutto
3
4
Materials X-Acto Knife
Pages
Ruler/Cutting Board
This small blade is on the end of a
You’ll need a wide assortment of page
If you don’t have a proper cutting board
utensil that is much like a pencil. It allows
types. I found that different texts made
or ruler, be prepared to make several
for precision cutting, though the blades
for different looks. The dictionary pages
jagged lines and cuts on a table.
need to be exchanged every 100 pages
were whiter and cleaner, with a thicker
cut.
text. The Reader’s Digests that I found
Scissors
had antique looking pages with yellowed
While I do love my X-Acto knife and its
Glue
corners. Then, when I cut up The Book
versatility, sometimes you have to make
There are going to be a variety of glue
Thief, its pages were somewhere in the
some quick and dirty cuts. Be prepared
types you’ll need for many of these
middle.
to also have some scissors on hand.
Elmer’s Glue 75% of the time. I also had
Needle, Thread, Sewing Machine
Miscellaneous
to use a hot glue gun for some projects,
Three of the projects required some
Be creative while crafting! Grab some
and for that I say be careful!
form of stitching/sewing: the purse,
buttons or ribbon and add personality.
projects, but I’d say that I used regular
wallets, and journal.
5
6
Definition Jewelry My best friend and I have a lunch routine to make sure that we get to see each other throughout the week regardless of our busy senior schedules. One day as she sat down, I noticed for the first time a very striking piece of jewelry she wore. Her necklace featured a simple glass dome with her favorite quote from To Kill a Mockingbird. At that moment, I had my notebook open on the table in front of me to ‘senior thesis ideas.’ I had been searching for the perfect project for my body of work, and seeing her necklace finally solidified an idea I previously had after seeing the decorative trees. I was going to craft. Her necklace inspired these jewelry pieces. With my pieces, I decided to cut out illustrations from books and definitions from the dictionary. Where did I get the pages? See ‘Hollowed Books,’ pg. 10. I chose words that I could stand behind, and asked my sister and best friends what words they’d like to see. The result allows us to stand behind words we believe in, and accessorize with a piece of jewelry for book lovers.
7
Definition Jewelry: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Book Pages
Glue! How in the world do you get
•
Bases
a piece of glass and a piece of paper
•
Glass
to stick to a necklace base without
•
Chains
anything showing? I ended up using the
•
Circle Cutter
clear glue shown in the materials list
•
Glue
and letting it dry overnight.
Time & Difficulty: The time varies depending on how and what you cut and what glue you use. The project is not difficult whatsoever, and tons of fun to individualize.
8
STEP BY STEP
1
Find a setting. I chose to look on etsy.com for jewelry settings and glass inserts.
2
Using a circle cutter, cut circles from illustrations, text, or dictionary pages.
3
I used a clear glue to add my pictures to the glass and let them dry overnight.
9
10
Binder I love organization, and I love when repurposing projects turn old items into useful products. Using a book cover and the metal binder rings from a thrift store notebook, I turned this old brown book into a trendy binder to hold note cards. I love using note cards when I study, but they’re a pain to store. This way, the note cards fit into my bookshelf and blend right in with all my other books. I also found a pattern for an insert on the left side of my cover to store my notecards. The bright blue page is from a Real Simple hardcover how-to book with several bright and inviting pages. The insert was very easy to make and adds a nice touch to the inner pattern of the book.
11
Binder: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Binder rings
Finding the binder rings to
•
Book cover
fit a certain book size can be
•
Fabric
difficult. I was lucky to find a
•
Paper
small note card binder that fit perfectly into my book.
Time & Difficulty: From cutting to adhering, I spent a little over 20 minutes on this project, and it is at a beginner’s difficulty level.
12
STEP BY STEP
1 2 3
Measure fabric panel the size entire length of book, then glue down fabric panel. Glue binder ring to book. I chose to make a little holder on the left side of my book (diagram to the right), but that’s optional.
Fold and glue .5” strips along the sides.
Fold upward 3”, but only glue outer sides.
Allow to dry.
13
14
Nail Art When accessorizing with words, the boundaries are unlimited. When my sister and neighbor presented this image to me through a text, I immediately created a page for it. This project takes maybe a half hour to finish, but can be fun to do with friends and with your favorite pieces of literature. Nail art is a huge trend right now, and finding new and interesting ways to decorate allows the creativity to shine. My sister in the photograph once again used pages from her favorite book, The Book Thief, but I’ve seen people use a wide variety of pages to accomplish the same effect. Newspapers, dictionaries, books, and even textbooks can be used to imprint your favorite words on phrases to keep around for a few weeks.
15
Nail Art: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Book pages
You have to hold the pages down or
•
Rubbing alcohol
the words will get messed up. Also, the
•
Clear Polish
clear polish is a necessity. The words
•
White/Silver polish
will rub off within a day if that polish
Time & Difficulty: Each nail took 30 seconds, and though getting all nails done may be tedious, the project is simple.
16
isn’t applied at the end.
STEP BY STEP:
1 2
aint nails a nude or light P color. Make sure your nails are completely dry (not even slightly sticky) before moving on to the next step. Cut ten pieces of paper for each nail. The size depends on your nail, but 1�x 1� strips should work.
3 4
Dip paper in rubbing alcohol and press on nail for 30 seconds, then remove paper. Do for each nail. Allow to dry completely, then apply clear polish.
17
18
iPad Case I may love crafting and being hands-on, but I love technology and computers just as much. My iPad follows me wherever I go, often accompanied by its keyboard, and I have to admit I’m not the most careful with it. I love cases, so I decided to make one of my own using the cover of a book. While perusing the book aisle of a thrift store (and picking up many other books for the remaining projects), my mother handed me this silver cover and said, “Read the spine.” The book was titled The Incredible Machine and was the perfect size for my personal incredible machine. The coincidence was too perfect, so that night I went home and cut the pages from this book so my iPad would have a new home.
19
iPad Case: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Zipper
Research zippers. They’re not easy to
•
Glue
apply, especially when you’re not using
•
Fabric
a sewing machine. Also, letting glue dry
•
Padding
is a true test of patience but is essential
•
Book cover
to having a clean craft.
Time & Difficulty: The fabric and book cover are easy and only took me minutes. The zipper, however, proved to be difficult to apply and took most of my night to practice.
20
STEP BY STEP
1
Cut the pages from the book
4
lue the fabric on top of the G felt pads. These are creating the cushion for your iPad.
2
Measure the fabric out according to the size of your opened book.
5
3
ake about 3 or 4 felt pads, glue T them together, and glue them to the center of the covers of your book.
ow, glue the zipper along the N outer edges of your fabric, making sure that it lines up with its other side.
6
Once the glue dries, you’re done!
21
22
Book Spine Crafts After I had torn the covers and the pages from many of these projects, I was left with a few book spines that looked too unique and antique for me to throw away. What to do with these spines? I couldn’t bring myself to not use them, so I incorporated them into a few projects. First, I made a cuff bracelet with a green and red spine that says “BOOKS” in large print. Secondly, I made a bookmark from the fabric and a green spine, and by adding some ribbon I had it match several other projects.
23
Book Spine Crafts: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Book spine
Use hot glue, because adhering the
•
Hot glue
material of the cover with other
•
Ribbon
materials gets tricky, but the hot glue
•
Bracelet
worked every time.
Time & Difficulty: 15 minutes, and each project was just a manner of adhering and adding.
24
STEP BY STEP
1
lean up the sides of your spine with your C X-Acto knife. Most spines are just flimsy paper so that they can bend as you read a book.
2
lue the spine onto the material you’d like, G whether it’s cardboard to make a bookmark or a leather bracelet to make a cuff.
3
Add any other accents you’d like to see. I added ribbons and more fabric.
25
26
Wallets Back to the sewing machine again! I received a free Real Simple hardcover book about repurposing, so of course I had to repurpose the book about repurposing! I love the bright colors of all the pages and decided to use them to make different colored wallets. In addition, I also used more of the pages from The Book Thief to make wallets with the book page feel (shown left). Wallets are very easy to make as long as you have a pattern to follow. They can be as simple or as complex as you’d like them to be, so for the purposes of this book, I created several simple wallets from different types of pages. I found that by using book pages, colored pages, and even a page out of an atlas of the moon, I could create a different feel and texture with the same template.
27
Wallets: How-To Materials:
Tips:
•
Sewing machine
Measure your paper first! Bigger wallets
•
Book pages
take large sheets of paper. Also, you can
•
Thread
laminate or glue cellophane on your pages to give them a glossy look and
Time & Difficulty: An hour. The wallets weren’t hard to sew, but making sense of the patterns becomes a tad difficult when resizing.
28
make them a little more durable.
STEP BY STEP
1
easure out your page M according to the pattern you are going to follow. Look online for patterns.; they are easy to find on the web.
2
Score (using the back of your X-Acto knife) along the score lines.
3
Fold the wallets, and sew where the pattern indicates.
4
Glue on accessories (I used a button) and use velcro to allow the wallet to snap shut.
29
30
Book Cover Purse Several tutorials on this purse are floating around on the web, but the accessorizing and customizing differs from tutorial to tutorial. I decided to go with a blue cover and a pattern that mimics the patterns seen on many of the Reader’s Digest covers. I also found a metal chain and metal buttons to accent my purse. Before this project, I had only sat down at a sewing machine once before in my life. If I can make a book cover purse, then I know anyone can. The end result is durable and carries a normal amount for a purse. Because the outer cover is a sturdy book cover, I found that the purse was sturdier than the purses I had been carrying. The addition of a chain and a pretty durable fabric also made this a tough accessory.
31
Book Cover Purse: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Book cover
Use whatever you like in terms of
•
Fabric
accents. I use a silver chain, but I’ve seen
•
Chain
examples with handles and cords. Also,
•
Buttons
it might help to have a friend for the
•
Sewing machine
last step, because adhering the second side is tricky.
Time & Difficulty: Two hours, but I’m new at a sewing machine. Then, I allowed my glue to dry overnight.
32
STEP BY STEP
1
Separate the cover from its pages.
2
Cut a panel of fabric that spans the inside of your cover, and glue it down.
3
L ay your cover down onto your fabric at a 90 degree angle, and trace the triangle that the side makes. This will be the side panel.
4
ut out that triangle, pin it C to your fabric, and cut out four triangle panels from your fabric.
5
L aying the fabric back side up, sew two triangles together, leaving a hole at the bottom. Do this again with the remaining two panels.
6
Flip the fabric inside out. Line the outer edges of your panels with glue, and lay them down on the sides of your book. The tricky part is having the book slightly closed to get both sides glued down.
7
llow glue to dry overnight. A Now that your purse is ready, attach your chain and buttons and accent as you wish!
33
34
Shadow Box I’m a fan of the 1950’s and an even bigger fan of Amelia Earhart. When I saw this book, “Women Aloft,” and saw the illustrations and information inside, I knew it would be a part of my project. I collected the images that were most striking to me and turned them into a shadow box, or a collage. This is a way to condense a story down into one smallish box. The box is a cigar box, which will forever remind me of my grandpa. He gave me about four of these boxes after he was done (because I certainly do no not smoke them, that is all grandpa). They can be seen throughout this book being used as props and as stands for many of the projects. So, this project is not only special for its subject matter, but also for the memories it holds for me.
35
Shadow box: How-to Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
A box
Cut out all images first before you
•
Glue
place them. I also recommend laying
•
Cut out images
them out on a blank sheet of paper
•
Scissors
and imagining how they’re going to look. Once that glue dries, you’re stuck
Time & Difficulty: The project was very simple and at an easy level, but the time can vary. If you know exactly what your finished piece is going to look like, then it should be a snap. I took an hour deciding where each image should go.
36
with what you have!
STEP BY STEP
1 2 3
(Optional): Line the inside of your box with pages. Cut out all images. Glue images to inside of box in desired placements.
37
38
Collaboration: Megan Welch What better way to upcycle than to make a new, usable material? I met Megan Welch earlier in the year when I interviewed her for an article I was writing. As she told me her art story and talent with paper making, I knew that I’d be working with her again. Megan is a brilliant paper maker, and helped me make several pages of my own out of books I had already cut up for other projects. Here she has taught me how to cut up old pages, blend them, and create a journal. While the process was lengthy and exhausting, I felt extremely rewarded at the end when I finished with 48 brand new pages. I loved learning every step, from blending (with an actual blender) old pages, to sifting with a large bucket and wooden frame, and drying them off with cloth.
39
New Pages: How-To Materials
Tips & Tricks:
•
Around 500 pages
Know where you’re headed in terms of
•
Access to boards, clamps, and a
thickness of paper and how many pages
printing press
you need. This will save you time and
•
A very large sink or bucket
energy.
•
Two smaller buckets
•
A blender
•
Paper towels and sponge
Time & Difficulty: The process from start to cleanup was five hours. This is, however, coming from a beginner and was also overly ambitious in making 48 pages.
40
STEP BY STEP
1 2
Tear pages into small 1” x 5” strips, and soak them in hot or warm water. Mix one handful of the soaked pages and about five cups of water in a blender.
3
our this substance into a small P bucket. Repeat until bucket is full.
4
F ill large tub halfway with water. My tub measured about 4 ft. wide, 2 ft. long, and 1 ft. deep. Then, add bucket of pulp mixture.
5
S tir the water with your hand, causing the pulp to rise to the top. Get board, sifter, and tray, and ‘prospect’ for pulp.
6
Drain water for a moment, then remove board. Flip sifter onto a sheet of fabric.
7
se large sponge to soak up U water, then cover this page with another sheet of fabric. Repeat steps 1-6 until you’ve done about 8 pages, laying all sheets between fabric one on top of the other.
8
Press the pages with the printing press. This should press all the water out, so use the sponge or a paper towel to prevent from making a mess.
9
Peel carefully! Let pages dry carefully, then begin to make journal!
41
42
Decorative Trees These trees are the catalyst that began this entire thesis. Originally, my thesis project involved a digital book that I knew was going to be too difficult and was beyond my skill level. I came home during Christmas break to see the colored tree on the left sitting on my living room mantel. I picked it up enthusiastically as my mother came into the room. When she saw how excited I was about this simple craft, she suggested that I instead do something much more fun and light-hearted for my project. Though the idea wasn’t solidified until I saw a necklace later (see Definition Jewelry), I will always remember how that tree led to the design and production of this entire book. These are a simple project and can be dressed up in many ways. I found that the addition of a snowflake, ornament, glitter, or even a necklace can dress these trees up for any holiday or occasion.
43
Decorative Trees How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
A book of any size
Do all the folding sharply. If you get lazy
•
Patience
with the folding, you’ll find that your edges will start to look sloppy.
Time & Difficulty: One hour per hundred pages. The colored tree took my mother two hours. The smallish sepia tree took me one hour, and the larger glittery tree took an hour and a half.
44
STEP BY STEP
1
The beginning.
Fold top line with the left side of page, only halfway to make triangle shown.
Again, align this fold along the left side of page.
Find a book with not too many pages. Remember, about an hour per hundred pages.
2
See diagram. Fold the right side down, the bottom side up, then flip to the next page.
3
Decorate or leave it as is.
Fold the bottom triangle upward, so that you have a flat bottom.
Turn the page and repeat!
45
46
Gift Bags With more pages and ribbon leftover, I found this tutorial on how to make a gift bag. Unfortunately, the tutorial calls for a rather large sheet of paper to use as a pattern. Since most books are a smallish size, I decided to use a poster board and layer strips of paper on top to still have a page like effect. The strips are from the leftover dictionary pages from the place mat project. My bag ended up small, but it would be the perfect wrapping for a book lover as long as the gift inside wasn’t too large. The bag is also sturdy, due to the lamination of the pages, the poster board, and the layering of the pages. On the inside of the bag are a few pages from the collaboration with Megan Welch.
47
Gift Bags: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Strips of paper
If you’d like to make a larger bag, make
•
Lamination machine
sure that you stay with proportion
•
Pattern
and don’t simply add inches to the
•
Glue
measurements. The bag then will not
•
Hole Puncher
fold correctly. Also, try to make your
•
Ribbon
holes for the ribbons before you glue.
Time & Difficulty: The longest part was cutting the strips and placing them on poster board. The folding and adhering took 10 minutes. The difficulty level is at medium, because folding can get tricky.
48
STEP BY STEP
1 2
et your pages ready. This G could either be using newspaper, large pages, or do as I did and cover a poster board with strips of paper. Cut out your pattern, then score along the dotted lines as in the picture shown.
3 4
he 1.25” fold at the top is T optional, but it does make for a nice clean look at the top of your bag. F old along the scoring and push your bottom edges up. Glue either a cardboard insert in the bottom or glue the bottom edges together.
5
Glue the bottom side flaps together.
6
Punch holes in the sides, then attach your ribbon.
1.25”
5”
2” 4.5”
3”
4.5”
2”
2”
49
50
Journals Never before have I been this excited about sewing. For this journal, I once again used the covers of my Reader’s Digests and the pages that I created with Megan Welch. I learned how to make signatures, do a bind, and end up with a handy little journal. This journal opens flat on all pages due to the type of binding, and it is also very sturdy. I saved this Reader’s Digest for last because it was my favorite color and pattern combination. I love the orange with the pink, and the dark green spine. Coincidentally, my pages folded perfectly in line with the book cover without my having to cut them. I also made a mini journal as you can see on the next page.
51
Journals: How-To Materials needed:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Covers
Use a sharp point to punch holes in
•
Pages
your cover and pages before you start
•
Needle and Thread
sewing, or you’ll have a hard time!
Time & Difficulty: I spent two hours from start to finish on this entire project, including learning how to bind. If you’re already familiar with a needle and thread then I’d say this is an easy tutorial, but if you’ve never bound a book before, beware.
52
STEP BY STEP
1 2 3 4 5
F irst, cut out your covers from their books. You can also use cardboard coated with pages, but I loved my Reader’s Digest cover. Have your pages ready in their signatures. Mine are in signatures of four. unch holes in your cover P and pages. They should be .5” away from the edge of the cover, but right along the spine on the pages. Mine are 2” apart vertically. F ind a tutorial on binding, and follow a binding pattern you like. I found a fairly simple tutorial and followed that pretty easily. When you’re done, be sure to cut away any excess string and tie your thread tight.
53
54
Collaboration: Savannah Harrison My best friend Savannah also happens to be a brilliant writer. After inspiring me to create some jewelry pieces, I had to involve her with a collaboration project. Savannah is a creative writer and pieces words together in ways I know I’ll never be able to do, so asking her to incorporate some sort of writing with book pages was a must. We are both fans of newspaper blackout poems compiled by Austin Kleon, and the idea came for Savannah to do one of her own. If any writer wants to be challenged, they can pick up a random book page and attempt to use the words on the page to make a poem. Once the words are selected, the remainder of the poem is ‘blacked out’ with a sharpie. The result is a new poem and a new meaning.
55
Black Out Poem: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Page
Don’t highlight the words that you will
•
Sharpies
use in pencil or pen, because they will
•
Basic concept of poetry
show through the sharpie and may leave indentions in the paper. Highlight
Time & Difficulty:
them in sharpie, since that will be your
Depends upon the writer and the
end result anyway.
creation of the poem.
56
STEP BY STEP
1
S elect a book. For a challenge like I gave Savannah, use an obscure book.
2
Search the pages for words that stand out to you.
3
Outline the words you like as you start to see your poem form. Circle or mark them.
4
nce you’re finished with your O poem, black out the remainder of the page with a sharpie, swiping in lines from left to right for a consistent look.
5
( Optional): I selected a frame and to mount her page on my handmade pages from my other collaboration.
57
58
Paper Rose This rose became my favorite project (if not evident by its presence on the cover and in several project group shots). In its pages I see what my thesis project is truly about: repurposing, and creating a new and beautiful object out of an old treasure. The rose was actually created by the hands of my roommate, Lynsi, as I worked on the curled wreath. I laid a tutorial in front of her, and turned around to work on my own project. When I glanced back over after making headway on my wreath, I was blown away. The petals curled perfectly, she laid them in row exactly as they would lay on a real rose, and I could see that she was putting effort into every petal she placed. Though the project took her over an hour, the end result was striking and perfect in every way.
59
Paper Rose: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Petals
Hot glue is hot! As the petals are
•
Scissors
placed, they need to be held still and
•
Glue
pushed onto the base. This will hurt
•
Base
your hands, so use the scissors or a pencil to push the petals into place.
Time & Difficulty: About an hour, but this was a rather large rose. The project wasn’t difficult at all for Lynsi, and she enjoyed every step.
60
STEP BY STEP
1
ut the petals out from the C book pages. I used yellowed antiqued pages, but for a whiter rose use a newer book or dictionary.
2
se a pencil or your finger to U ‘curl’ the pages. You want them to be slightly rounded at all the corners.
3
S tarting from the inside out, stand the smaller petals up using hot glue, which will make the inside of your rose.
4
ttach the petals from smallest A to biggest, going in circles. Go from a 90 degree angle to a 45 degree angle as you progress.
61
62
Ornaments I couldn’t complete my paper project thesis if I didn’t have some form of holiday item. These ornaments are very easy to make, and can be used with any form of paper. I loved the idea of customizing each ornament by page or accessory. Here I’ve used brass prongs to hold my pages together, but pins or buttons could also be used. They can also easily have their size changed according to what size paper strip used. I had fun trying out different sizes and different accessories. I hot glued buttons on the ends of one to add a craftier flare, and it’s now the perfect book page addition to my tree!
63
Ornaments: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Strips of paper (any size)
Find some way to poke holes in your
•
Brass pin, or something to connect
strips before you sit down to do the project. I had to locate a hole puncher
Time & Difficulty:
for my brass prongs, putting a halt to
5 minutes per ornament, depending on
my project. An X-Acto knife and pin
the time it takes to cut the strips. This is
didn’t quite cut it!
one of the easiest projects in the book.
64
STEP BY STEP
1
ut your strips. You’ll C need about 15, more or less depending on how sparse or spread our you want the pages to be.
2
S tack them on top of each other, then punch a hole in the top and bottom.
3
ut a brass prong (or P whatever you’d like to use to secure them) through the holes, fold down the edges, and cut off the excess.
4
ull one strip away from P the others, swiveling it out to the other side. Continue with the rest of them until you’ve made your sphere.
65
66
Papier-mâché Adding variety to these projects was a challenge. Aside from using the individual pages to create things that still resembled books, what could I do to create new shapes and ideas? I wanted to sculpt, so I turned to papier-mâché. Papier-mâché allows you to use the pages of books to create anything you like by making a wire frame and then layering pages on top of it. My tree took me all night to make, but I couldn’t be prouder of how it appears to be bursting out of its book. The pages weren’t easy to sculpt around my wire frame, but the result is a ghoulish appearance that could be perfect for Halloween or an abstract sculpture.
67
Papier-mâché: How-To Materials
Tips & Tricks:
•
Glue Mixture
Usually, newspaper is used in papier-
(75% water, 25% glue)
mâché sculptures because the paper is
•
Wire frame
thin and absorbs the glue mixture well.
•
Book pages
Beware of using pages that are thicker,
•
Base
because they don’t mold as well.
Time & Difficulty: Five hours, and then overnight for it to dry entirely. I chose a rather difficult shape because of all the branches, so I feel that the level would depend on your final goal and idea.
68
STEP BY STEP
1
Create your glue mixture in a large bowl.
2 3
Create your wire frame structure. Cut paper into strips 1” wide, and however long you need.
4
Dip them into the glue mixture. No need to soak them.
5
lace and mold them P around your frame. You’re going to get your hands dirty as you mold and push the paper into the curves of your project.
7
fter you’re done, allow A the sculpture to dry overnight without touching it. Mine was even still a little damp in the morning.
69
70
Mini Paper Roses Accidents sometimes make the best surprises. While browsing paper tutorials, I saw these adorable mini roses that a blogger had used to decorate gift bags. After making a few of them just for fun, without any intention of including them in this book or in my thesis, I realized that I could use these mini roses for a multitude of projects. Their versatility won me over and before I realized, I had created headbands, rings, pins, and other accessories just from this one project.
71
Paper Roses: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Half of a regular size page book
Wind the paper as tightly as you can, so
•
Scissors
that when you loosen it, the entire thing
•
Accessories
doesn’t unravel.
Time & Difficulty: One rose takes maybe five minutes, and they’re extremely easy to make.
72
STEP BY STEP
1 2
Cut a spiral into your page. Starting from the outer end, roll the paper into itself until it reaches the center. You will have a wound up piece of paper.
3
Set the spiral down on a flat surface, and let it unroll naturally. You should see the rose shape now.
4
Put a dab of glue (hot glue or regular glue both work, but hot glue is faster) on a base. I used another sheet of paper as a base.
5
Cut the rose from your base, and adhere it to what other accessories you’d like to see.
73
74
Woven Place Mats This woven pattern can be used to make baskets, holders, or as you see here, place mats. The texture of the paper is simple to make and pretty sturdy if you have the patience to secure each loop. I set my sister to work on this project while I worked on research, and she enjoyed the methodical placement of each loop. She loves projects where she can zone out and enjoy the repetition of movement. This project was tricky, however, and took hours for us to figure out and complete. The final look makes a nice conversation piece, but patience is high in the list of materials needed.
75
Woven Place Mats: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Patience
Fold your paper tightly and crease the
•
Strips of paper 1” x 5”
edges sharply. As you layer, it will get
•
More patience
less sturdy, but it will help to make sure that you take time to secure each loop.
Time & Difficulty: Four hours for a 15”x15” mat, and that’s with distractions. Folding the paper strips isn’t difficult, but understanding how they attach was very hard.
76
STEP BY STEP
1 2
Cut about 125 strips of paper to 1� x 5� rectangles.
4
Fold them once, hot dog style, then again to make a second fold.
3
5
Fold them again lengthwise. Unfold.
Take each edge and fold toward the crease you just made, then fold lengthwise finally. L ink the strip you made by slipping the fold of one into the fold of another. They should fit snugly in the corners.
6 7
Continue, until you have as many rows as you like in one row. J oin rows together by taking a long piece (only to step three) and weaving it through folded pieces. Make sure you pull tight to make a snug place mat.
77
78
Candle Holder Simplicity is sometimes the key to good design. With this candle holder, several rolled pages were glued to a small jar which created a lovely candle holder. I saw the idea on the web used as a vase, but realized that a candle (though maybe a slight fire hazard) would be the perfect addition to my other decorative projects. Once again I used the antique older looking pages. I scoured the thrift stores for the perfect jar to adhere my rolled pages to.
79
Vase/Candle Holder: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Rolled pages
Hot glue sticks very quickly to glass.
•
Glue
You will have no time to shift or move
•
A Vase
the paper once it is stuck to the glass. Also, measure your pages first before
Time & Difficulty: The pages take a little while to roll, since you have to do them one by one. This project is at a very easy level.
80
attempting to attach them to your vase.
STEP BY STEP
1
Measure your jar/vase to decide how long your pages should be.
2
oll all the pages, using hot glue. Rolling the R pages consistently can be tough, but I ended up using my thumb to keep them consistent.
3
Glue them one by one onto your vase, being careful to keep them vertical!
– Victor Hugo
81
82
Curled Paper Wreath There are some projects that, though incredibly common and overdone, must be recreated. I saw endless examples of this wreath on the web. At the risk of walking the trail that is certainly most traveled by, I decided to follow the tutorials and create my own. The result is the piece that now hangs above the couch in my and my roommate’s living room. I’m in love with the old edges of the pages and the haste final look. The project took the better part of an evening but the result is one of my favorite pieces in this entire book.
83
Curled Paper Wreath: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Book Pages
Hot glue hurts! When applying the
•
Hot Glue
hot glue to the page and then curling
•
Circular cardboard base
it, make sure to not use your hand instantly to hold the glue in place. Even
Time & Difficulty: About an hour. The beginning was slow because curling the pages just right took a little bit of time. Then, after I figured out the proper paper rolling method, I had a system going and it went very quickly.
84
through a page of paper, the heat hurts!
STEP BY STEP
1
F ind the color pages you want. I went for pages that had browned edges for an aged look.
2
oll the pages from R corner to corner, not side to side. This will make a cone shape. Hot glue the edge and attach to itself.
3
o in a circular G pattern as you attach each cone to the base. I used a cardboard ring I cut out of a box I had lying around.
4
nce you’re done O with the first layer, go through and add a second layer of cones.
85
86
Book Cover Frame I am undeniably in love with the covers of the old Reader’s Digest books. For this project, I selected a pattern with one of my favorite colors. Using the covers worked out well for the remainder of my projects, because I could use the inner pages for other assignments. I was hesitant at first about how this project would go, because I had never attempted to cut into a book cover and this was the first time I had taken apart a book (by the end of the semester, however, I was a pro at disassembling and cutting). The end result is a picture frame that demonstrates my love of books and my love of patterns.
87
Book Cover Frame: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
A box cutter (My X-Acto blade
I put book pages on the inside of my
was too weak)
frames, but get creative! You could do
•
Pictures
several things to add a personal touch
•
Glue
to your frame.
•
(Optional): Magnets or stand
Time & Difficulty: 15 minutes! The part that took the longest was deciding what pictures to put in the frame. The difficulty level is at easy, until you have to cut out your cover, when some strength may be required.
88
STEP BY STEP
1 2
F irst, you’ll need to separate the cover from its pages. This is pretty simple to do, depending on what type of book you’re using. I used an old hardcover version of a Reader’s Digest, and all I had to do was cut between the inside page and the spine. sing the BACK of the cover, measure out where U you would like your opening to be. Then, add a half an inch so that you’ll have something to adhere your picture to.
3
sing a utility knife, score your marks first. Then, U cut slowly along the lines, adding more pressure with every cut
4
( Optional): You can add magnets or a stand to make your frame stand upright or on a refridgerator.
5
( Optional): You can cut out pages from the book and glue them on the inside, so that your pictures have a little bit of an extra flair to them. Colored paper might also look good on the inside.
everyone – Plato 89
90
Hollowed Books Hollowing out the books was the very first project I did, because I was so excited about the idea of having a secret nook to stash my valuables. Little did I know, the thickness of the books would have me questioning the remainder of my thesis. I started out by drawing my lines and beginning to cut pages away from the center of my book with simply an X-Acto knife. About 50 pages in, I realized how dumb I had been and how many blades I was about to go through. My edges were getting jagged and my X-Acto knife blades were breaking under the pressure. Finally, the light bulb turned on and I rushed off to Wal-Mart to get a utility knife. Now, the progress started. Unfortunately, the dictionary I had been working on was already looking sloppy, so I started again on my sister’s favorite book The Book Thief (big mistake, as I would find out from an angry sister later). I layered the dictionary with its inside pages to cover my blunders, but The Book Thief turned out well and had a title fitting for a book full of secrets.
91
Hollowed Books: How-To Materials:
Tips & Tricks:
•
Utility Knife
Corners, corners, corners! The
•
Book
edges begin to look jagged
•
Glue
when you don’t pay attention
•
Water
to cutting into the corners. It
•
Paint brush
may seem okay to tear the
•
Heavy Books
pages from the corner once, but do it with three hundred
Time & Difficulty:
pages leaves you with a big
The glue took an hour to dry
mess. Also, if you’re planning on
for both books. After the glue
doing any other projects, save
had dried, the dictionary took
the paper you cut away!
two hours because I was just getting started and was clueless. The Book Thief took 45 minutes, after practice.
92
STEP BY STEP
1
ut away the title page of C your book. Or, a few pages from the inside. This will come in handy later.
2
F irst, you’ll need a glue mixture to adhere the outer sides of the book together. I mixed 50% water and 50% Elmer’s glue in a cup.
3
se a paint brush and coat U the sides of the book with your glue mixture, applying generously.
4
S tack other heavy objects (maybe a few other books you have lying around) on top of your book, so that the pages stick together when they dry. Be sure to leave the top cover off so it doesn’t also get stuck.
5
et a ruler and measure G away from the sides of your book. Mine are 1” away.
6
et your knife and cut G away, being sure to make clean straight cuts deep into the corners also.
7
ere’s where step one H comes into play. I pried the back of my pages open, placed my title page, and re-glued the stack back. That way, when you open the hollowed book, you see the title.
8
r, if you’d like to cover up O the inside, you can use a few of the inner pages to make a collage of pages to cover up the sides.
93
94