Decoupaging Old Books with Old Letters
Decoupaging old books with old letters is a great way to upcycle thrift store books, and add a custom look to your home decor (you can decoupage other items too!). The books can be decoupaged with paper, scrapbook paper, and even blank paper that has been rubber stamped with images.
I saw books very similar to these at a very high-end boutique. They were nothing but ordinary books decoupaged in copies of old letters and ephemera for…get this…$25.00 a piece! I thought they were very cool and I wanted some for display at home, but not for that! You can also paint old encyclopedias too and give them a vintage look. I printed out some letters and postcards and got to work with some garage sale books.
Gather Supplies to Decoupage Images onto the Books
-Old books
-Decoupage Medium
-Scissors
-Flat brush
-Paper, copies of vintage images or scrapbook papers
Print out Papers
If using copies of vintage images, the best way to do it is to print on highest resolution and let the ink dry before you start.It took about 5 large letters to cover and trim a book. Trim before you paste! Also, Mod Podge the back of the paper and the book surface; but don’t overwork it because with an ink jet, the ink can start coming off after too much handling. Trim the paper to the book surface where it bends to make a smooth transition and just fold the excess around the edges of the flaps.
Apply Decoupage Medium
Spread decoupage medium like Mod Podge on the books. Adhere the paper by putting a coat of decoupage medium on both the books and the underside of the paper. Press the two together and let dry. Brush a coat of medium over the top. The best thing is, they don’t have to be old books on the inside, so I just used some regular hard covers that were the right size that I knew I was never going to read.
About 15 minutes later, I had all 3 done and drying for under $3! You can find a decoupage tutorial here on how to decoupage paper onto furniture.
Here are a few vintage papers you can print out and use for your decoupage projects.
When they are dry do one more coat of decoupage medium as a top coat. I also used my distress ink stamp pads to make the paper look even older. IÂ rubbed it on the edges. Here are a couple of letters to get you started if you are interested in trying it. I’ve picked them up from here and there and I wish I could remember where from! You could also do this with old labels, tags, fabric patterns, sheet music, photos etc…. If you are looking for more, Dawn at The Feathered Nest always shares amazing ephemera with her readers and is such a sweet person to boot. Stop in and say hi!
*This was posted Via Jennifer Rizzo. com
How clever! I think they are just lovely! I think I’ll have to do this to, maybe some of my Jane Austens! I can put the title back on it! I just love it! Thank you!