I've been meaning to share this tutorial forever and am finally getting it done because I accidentally ran across the instructions last week. The tutorial is an altered book project that I did for the "yellow" month at a Year-of-Color. I love this project because, though I did it pretty simply, you can take the ideas and add lots of your own to make your own unique book.
The first step is to find a hardcover book. I found mine at the library sale table for $0.25 and chose it because I like the uneven page edges. If needed, tear off the library dust jacket.
Since the color theme was yellow, I gathered everything I might use. This is always way more than I need but it helps me see what I want to make. Just put everything in a big inspiring pile.
The tools to alter the book are simple. I used an UHU glue stick, a bone folder, matte sealer, a flower hole punch, a sanding sponge, a set of flower stamps, ink, staples, and bottled glue. I also save my Anthropologie catalogs as my glue work surface…just place your paper on a page, smear it with glue, and then turn the page for a fresh surface.
Cut the papers you have chosen into patches…squares, rectangles, smaller, and bigger. Glue the patches to the front and back covers of the book (keep the binding exposed until later) overlapping the edge by a half-inch or so. Use two patches to easily work around the book corners. I use the bone folder to smooth and secure the paper. Cut a single piece of paper to cover the book binding edge. Use a good amount of glue and your fingers to get a good fit.
After your book is covered in pretty patches, measure the inside of the covers and cut two pieces of paper to fit. Glue them to the inside of the covers. At this point, I applied a light layer of matte decoupage glue to seal the papers. After everything is dry, lightly sand the book edges and surfaces…this gives the book a pretty finished look.
Now for the insides pages. The first pocket we’ll make is a double folded pocket. Choose two pages in the book and, starting at the top of the page, tear the first one (on the binding side) halfway down the book. Fold the page down (this is your bottom pocket). Now tear the second page (starting from the bottom) halfway up the page and fold it. This is your top pocket. Glue the inside edge of both pockets with a small line of bottled glue. Next, you need to seal the open edges of the pockets. I used a punched flower and a staple but you could also use glue or stitching. To finish, I punched half of a flower in each pocket opening. The pockets hold a vintage note card and a tag.
The next pocket is an easy one. Fold a page edge down until it meets the inside edge of the book. Use a line of glue to keep the folded edge down. Secure the folded edge page to the next page with another flower and staple. This larger pocket holds a note card.
The final pocket is simply an envelope. Glue it to a page so the envelope opening is easy to use. I filled the pockets with small cards, punched flowers, and pretty paper scraps.
There are lots of ways to add details within the book and one of them is to punch a flower in a page and stamp an image on the next so it shows through the flower.
To finish the outside of the book, I tore some round shapes from a book page, added a punched flower, stitched them together with a button, added a stem and torn leaves and added the flower to the front of the book…a pretty way to finish what turned out to be a pretty, flowery book.
