Another repurposed book... part 1

On Friday I received an email from Michelle who wrote:

"I recently was led to your site by another blogger and I completely love the repurposed book that you are giving away! It is fantastic, but I do have one question, do you have a tutorial or anything that show how you actually bound your pages into the old cover? I work at a library and am constantly playing with the bits and pieces of old books and I very much so like the way your book looks, I'm just curious how to replicate the binding myself. If you wouldn't mind sharing I would greatly appreciate it!"

Well, Michelle... you asked for it... and here we go!

First step is to pick a book. I always grab mine from the clearance sections at local book stores. I do look for a couple of things when I am choosing... I want some great paper in it, I will be removing the "book" portion of it, but that will not go to waste, it will be used for lots of other projects. I tend to gravitate toward vintage books that are really falling apart or are in the last stages of their shelf life. I also prefer books that have a linen cover on them, or at least one that is a flat, matte sort of paper. The book I am using for this tutorial has a very shiny finish, and it can add a whole lot of extra work to the project... as well as a few twists and turns you don't expect... but we'll get to that later.

I also have sand paper, an x-acto knife, gesso, a few paint brushes, lots of graphics and photos that I recently took that I might use, paint... and I really have found that I like what is commonly called the "credit card" method of painting, but I use Formica samples rather than old credit cards. Now, a word I want to add here... I know an awful lot of people who are just as comfy as can be using the bones of a tutorial and converting the rest to fit what they want to do, and I know just as many who want to follow the steps EXACTLY down to the book and colors... my advice... use the bones method. If you don't like the credit card method, use paint brushes... use the colors that work for you... use graphics you like. There is no right, no wrong, it is all about creating, and the best part of creating is finding what works for you and making it what you want it to be.

OK, now, on to creating. Using the X-acto knife, you need to gut the book. This is so much easier than I ever suspected. You cut where the fold is on the inner cover. On most books, it is just a simple cut on each side, and you have a gutted book. At this point I sand the edges of the area I cut out, and make sure the edges of the paper are glued down securely.

Since this book has such a shiny finish, it's important to sand it off. I used 100 grit and started giving it a light sanding, and was shocked to see the entire surface start peeling off. Apparently this surface was a film applied over the paper, and, while all I wanted to do was rough it up a bit to put gesso on it, the film started shredding and had to be completely removed. And believe me, it was a bear to get off.

So much so that as I was sanding the spine of the book decided to completely detach. ARGHHHHH... so much for the perfect tutorial huh? Things like this happen though, and it gives me the chance to work around it and share how that can be done too... so, soldier on. I am sure by the time I get there, I'll have a plan, for now I'll move forward with the covers.

I like lots of texture, so I use paper, in this case junk mail, to tear into strips and cut into circles that I glue to the cover. This paper will have more gesso on it, so I am not worried about the fact that it is colorful. As to what kind of adhesive, use what you like. Just make sure that whatever you use it can be spread evenly and completely. When I glue the papers down I again use the Formica sample to spread the adhesive in a thin layer and then I use it to gently adhere the paper completely to the adhesive.




Let it all dry for a bit, and then add a layer of gesso over it. You end up with this. This is the point where I usually paint the edges, in this case a hot pink (I know, you guys are just shocked by that huh?).






I use the same pink to cover the front, again, using the credit card technique. At this point it dawns on me that there may be some of you who don't know what that is, so let me explain. You put a blob of paint on what you want to cover, in this case the cover of the book, and you use an old credit card, or for me the Formica sample, to spread it around. It spreads it thinner in some places, and leaves it thicker in others, and gives the most amazing bits of texture to the piece.




As soon as I get the pink mostly spread out, I add a layer of light orange (imagine that?). After that is spread out well, I let it dry. Notice that you do see some white in the cover. Don't worry about it, in the end I don't think I have ever noticed it on a finished piece. It eventually gets covered over, or becomes a part of the overall design.

At this point, you need to walk away from it and let it dry very well. Y'all know how I don't have a whole lot of patience, so since I have to bake a cake, I am going to go do that while it dries... and I'll share more with you in the coming week.