Book page art is a perfect fit for paper crafters. Instead of using cardstock or specialty paper, we will be using the pages of a book. Today, we are going to explore what book page art is. And I am going to show you how to create a ruffled book page art wreath.
What Is Book Page Art?
Well, quite literally, it means creating some type of art or craft with the pages of a book!
In some instances, this means that you use a book like a sketchbook. For example, you would paint or draw or stamp right on the pages of the book.
In other instances, you would transform the pages of a book into another work of art or a craft. That’s what I am going to show you later on in this article.
Upcycled And DIY Art
What’s great about book page art is that it provides a way to upcycle or create DIY art. Too often books get discarded and end up in the trash. Why not upcycle them into DIY art?
Vintage Books
Vintage books can be made into great DIY art. You can pick up vintage books at yard sales and flea markets for just a few cents.
Many times the pages of vintage books have an aged look that lends depth to a DIY book page art project.
The project I am going to show you below doesn’t have a vintage look at all, but that’s okay. The whiter pages fit my project better since I am going to add some color to them anyway.
What Are Some Book Page Art Ideas?
Well, wreaths, of course, like the one I will show you below and like the one in How To Create A Fabulous Book Page Wreath.
But you can do lots of other things, too. You can paint or stamp other images on the pages. You can create mixed media pages. Mixed media can really transform an old book cover!
Some folks enjoy folding the pages of a book to create new forms. I remember doing this with my great aunt Ruby when I was a child. We would do this with old catalogs and create door stoppers!
Other folks use books to create sculptures. Some of these works are quite phenomenal with intricate folds and moldings. Looking at some of these works is definitely a thrill. I marvel at the creativity, talent, and patience of these artists and crafters!
Book Page Art Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Art is a very personal thing, and book page art may not be your cup of tea. But I am amazed at the creativity that many folks bring to this medium, though.
I love art that uses everyday things in new and different ways. I like using found objects in art projects.
Sacredness Of A Book
So let’s be honest. Did you cringe when you read the phrase ‘book page art’ in the title of this article? Many book lovers have an aversion to ‘destroying’ a book. I get it.
Some books are sacred. I have some that I would NEVER use in an art or craft project.
But…some books need to be reinvented. You know the ones that I’m talking about. They’ve served their original usefulness, but now it is unlikely that anyone is going to pick them up and read them ever again.
Or maybe the book is falling apart. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time keeping up with loose pages in a book. If I upcycle the book into a new creation, then I don’t have to worry about missing pages.
Book Page Art Reinventions
Book page art can give these dated or falling apart books a new purpose. This is how I feel about the book I used for this project. It is the same book that I used for my other wreath. It’s cool that the same book can produce two very different wreaths!
But that book isn’t going to help me or anyone else if it stays a book. It was about writing a dissertation and it helped me when I was writing mine. But for anyone who might be in a doctoral program now, well, there will be more current books to help them.
But these projects do help to honor that part of my life using a book that was helpful to me at that time.
Now it is time for the book to help in other ways, and it’s a secret thrill when I look at the wreaths, knowing that I used one of my books to create them.
But enough of that. Let’s get to this fun, ruffled book page wreath project!
Here is a video I made as I was putting together this wreath:
How To Create Book Page Art Wreath
This is an easy project that requires just a few materials. (Crafters love to hear that, right?)
For your convenience, I included affiliate links which means I may make a commission, but it won’t cost you any more. Read my entire disclosure here.
Materials
- Old book pages, approximately 80 pages
- Ink pads
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Fat pencil or a marker
- Wreath form, 10 inch
- Ribbon (or this or this) or pre-made bow
Rip And Tear
The first step is to rip the pages out of the book. After ripping the pages out, you need to tear each one in half-ish.
Don’t be a perfectionist here. Just rip and tear. If the pieces don’t end up exactly in half, no worries.
I would group about three pages together and rip them together. This will save a little bit of time.
Ink
I used a Stampin’ Up Kaleidoscope ink pad in Fiesta to add color to the edge of the pages. This is an old product and I didn’t see it on the website. There is a link to a similar product in my Materials box above.
I inked around all four sides.
These types of pads are great for creating blends of colors. The pad I have contains five different ink pads that can be pushed together or slid apart, resulting in different looks.
You can use a single-color ink pad if that is the finished look you want. I wanted to have lots of bright spring colors, so I used the Kaleidoscope pad.
I first tried using sponge daubers (affiliate) to ink the edges, but you need a different dauber for each color. This means you have to change daubers constantly. I quickly abandoned that plan.
What worked best for me was to pick up about three sheets and run the edges along the surface of the ink pad. This put the right amount of ink on the pages.
Some pages had more ink and others less. This was the look that I was wanting.
Full disclosure – this process did mix the inks on the ink pad a bit. I wasn’t too worried about it, though, because I have two of these ink pads. I picked this one up in a garage sale haul a few years ago.
Squeeze
This next step is so easy. Just take one piece – that is, one-half page – and place the pencil or marker in the center. Squeeze or wrap the page around the pencil. This scrunches the page up which is what will give the book page wreath a ‘ruffled’ look when we are finished.
Glue
Now it is time to add the pages to the wreath form to start bringing our book page art wreath to life. We will be making three layers or rows around the wreath form.
Start with the middle layer. Using the hot glue gun, add a good-sized dab of hot glue to the middle of the wreath form. Press the page to the wreath where you added the glue.
You will need to hold the page against the wreath form for several seconds. If you don’t hold the page, it will slide off the wreath form. Holding it for several seconds allows the hot glue to cool down and get tacky.
Continue adding pages all around the wreath using hot glue. Each page should be nestled close to the preceding page. Make them good neighbors!
Add the inner and outer rings
When you finish the middle ring, begin the inner ring. For the inner ring, I found that it was easier if I flipped the wreath over and worked from the back.
If you do this, make sure that you still push the edges of the pages to the front – not the back.
Continue all the way around the inside of the wreath form, adding pages just as we did for the middle ring. Keep the pages close together.
Finally, add the outer ring. For the outer ring, I flipped the wreath back over so that I could work from the front side.
Add pages with the hot glue along the outside edge of the wreath. Make sure that each page nestles close to the middle ring and to the preceding page on the outer wring.
Once you’ve added all the pages to the outer ring, hold the wreath at arm’s length. Look for any gaps or holes. The wreath should look full, and you should not be able to see any of the wreath form.
If you see the wreath form or if you see a gap, add a page to fill it in.
Finishing touches to the book page art wreath
Once you have filled in any gaps, you will want to pull off any loose hot glue ‘hairs.’ These ‘hairs’ seem to end up everywhere when I have my hot glue gun in use!
Finally, make a nice ribbon or add a pre-made bow to the wreath. Hang and admire!
I decided to use my Bowmaker to make my bow for this project. I haven’t used it in 17 years! It was sad.
I love how the pages on this wreath look frilly and ruffled. The whole wreath looks so fluffy!
This is in stark contrast to the book page art wreath I made in the last tutorial. It was more structured, and this wreath is certainly less structured and less formal.
The Takeaway
This is an easy project and a great way to upcycle the pages of an old or discarded book. To complete it
- Tear book pages in half
- Ink the edges of the pages
- Hot glue them to the wreath form
Easy peasy, right?
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