Crafting with The Geeky Blogger is born out of my love of hot glue, yarn, and all things crafty. These posts pop up whenever I want to share something that I have finished and want to share with y’all. The posts will be random from crochet to cooking to paper crafts. They are a way to bring some of my outside of reading hobbies to the blog. I hope that you enjoy them!
This week’s craft was inspired by The Book Nympho who made this wonderful paperback book tree (out of the phonebook):
I decided I would try and give it a whirl (mine is no where near as good but it was fun)!
What you need:
- Paperback book with glue spine (phonebook, old book, 2nd hand book) that is at least 60 pages
- Glue — preferably crafting glue (I used a glue gun and I think this is where I went wrong)
- Topper — anything will work. I used a left over ornament
- Straight Knife (or something to cleanly remove the pages with spine in tact)
- (optional) Glitter
- (optional) Base (I used a cork board tile)
- (optional) Decorations
How It is Done:
- Find a book you don’t mind destroying (phonebook, old tech book, $1 clearance book from 2nd hand store). It needs to have an intact spine that the glue is holding pretty strong!
- Take the cover off the book (yes cringe you pristine book lovers–you are knowingly demolishing a book)
- Count out 30 pages and then remove them from the book still glued together (this is where your straight knife comes into play)
- Take one section and start folding: Each page take the top corner and fold to center and then repeat again
- Here is where you have to make a decision: Cut the ends (will show an example of a quick one I did), Fold the ends (my tree at top), Keep the Ends (I believe that is what Jennifer did) (each works but gives the tree a different look)
- Now repeat the process for the other set of pages (I flip the book over and work the opposite way)
- Next Glue the two sections together (I would suggest a glue stick as I had some problems with the glue gun setting too fast)
- Now decorate and top as you would like! These really can be as festive as you would like them to be 🙂 I used glitter, foam stickies, and an ornament. Also I put it on a cork board base because I folded the ends in and wanted something to put it on 🙂
Have you made one of these? What tips do you have?
Felicia S
Blogger at Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
Felicia is just your average gal from Texas that loves Audiobooks and Libraries with a passion! She can wine them, dine them, and love them forever. Her eclectic reading tastes include: Cozy Mysteries, Thrillers, Swoon-Worthy Romance of all kinds, Zombies, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and the occasional YA read.
During her non-reading time you can find her hanging with her rescue furr children named after book characters: Lizzie a beautiful cattle dog mix (Pound Pup), Cinder a beautiful Shep/Pitt mix (Pound Pup), and Minerva a beautiful Shep/Pitt mix (Foster Fail). Gathering with friends and family, attending conventions, watching movies/tv shows, rooting for the 49rs, and crocheting.
If you want to follow her DIY, Health, and Life adventures check out Mess to Best
My Google Profile
During her non-reading time you can find her hanging with her rescue furr children named after book characters: Lizzie a beautiful cattle dog mix (Pound Pup), Cinder a beautiful Shep/Pitt mix (Pound Pup), and Minerva a beautiful Shep/Pitt mix (Foster Fail). Gathering with friends and family, attending conventions, watching movies/tv shows, rooting for the 49rs, and crocheting.
If you want to follow her DIY, Health, and Life adventures check out Mess to Best
My Google Profile
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I am so totally not creative, and willingly destroying a book is just not in me. But I do like the look of this Felicia. How long did it take you?
It took about an hour. Not to long 🙂
Your tree looks great! There are so many cool looking things made out of books but I have always been hesitant to try to make anything.
I am going to look for other book crafts as this was fun 🙂
Oh I love this! And i think I could actually do it! Finally a purpose for the phone book! Thanks for sharing – I’m bookmarking for later 🙂
You can! Totally easy 🙂 Jennifer’s version evidently was even easier!
That is fun! I like it!
It was a blast!
Fun! What are you talking about yours looks adorable! No I haven’t made one but I think I’ll do Christmas ornaments for my next craft post perhaps or one of the posts later in the month so I have time to make a few.
I can’t wait to see those. I am trying ornaments and so far they are getting better. I am going to have to invest in a scrapbooking cutter though. I think it would make it easier.
I absolutely love this, and I think the Hubs and I are going to give it a try. I’m trying to be a more crafty person- I’m even making art to try to win Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle tarot deck. I really never thought that I had any creative talent (the imagination part, yes, but not the actual skills), but it’s really just a matter of trying it. I’m loving all your craft posts!!! I might try to get some members of my book club to form a craft club…
Crafting is fun 🙂 Even when it is a total disaster (I have plenty of examples of this LOL). It is just a fun way to let out some energy. I do hope y’all gave this a whirl 🙂 🙂
Very cool, I saw a similar one that my cousin-in-law did but they were pumpkins in various sizes and she made the edges orange.
Oh I bet those were so cool. I am finding out there is a lot you can do if you are willing to destroy a book 🙂
I love this! It looks sooooo good.
It was so much fun 🙂
Very cool 😀
Thanks! 🙂
I love your little tree. You are very talented!! 🙂
Thanks 🙂 It was fun!
So cute! That would be a fun gift idea using a favorite book. Even though you have to destroy it!
Oh that would be fun. Or if you could make one from like favorite passages hand written in a bounded book 🙂
Oh I like this craft! I think I prefer the cut ends. I just like the shape a bit better. Your tree rocks!!
Thanks! They do all sit a little differently which makes it fun 🙂
I saw these on Martha Stewart a few years ago and I have always wanted to make one and cover it with glitter. How long did it take you?
Once it clicked how to fold the paper–it took less than an hour from start to finish. 🙂 It really is a quick craft that is fun to do!
Very cute. I’m not much of a crafty person, but I appreciate it. I just don’t have a creative bone in my body.
That is me with drawing, painting, ect. I love it but I just can’t do it!
WOW you put a lot more work into yours! All I did was fold the pages and the curled it around to make a circle and clipped it to stay put. Not cutting or gluing required. LOL
Yours is cuter. I didn’t add any stickers or such to mine.
Well dang! I didn’t even think of that! I should have just asked you how you did it instead of trying to figure it out LOL I watched 2 You Tube videos and kind of made it like them but dimplier. Yet yours worked out better LOL
Oh I cringed looking at the pictures, even with an old book I don’t think I could do it..maybe a phone book..lol You did a great job with it. 🙂
I’m doing the same. That’s why I used the phone book that was at my door step. Who needs a phone book in 2014? LOL
You pristiners LOL 🙂 I almost did it to a new book but I didn’t want to be responsible for a bunch of fainting around the book world 🙂
Wow, how cool is that Felicia! I think yours looks awesome:) This is far too crafty for me, I’m not a crafty person, but I love, love, love it!
I will do crafts and you can do graphics (cause I suck at those big time). Together we make a whole creative person LOL
This is adorable! I am now going to rummage through my house to find a book I don’t need and make this with my daughter, she will love it. Maybe even cute trees to decorate my kids rooms with. Awesome post thanks for sharing!!!
Oh I think this would be a really fun kid craft. Make they write on or color the pages. That would be an awesome and something you could keep 🙂 🙂
Another cute project!! I wonder what it would look like if I let me daughter color on the pages before I made it.
I bet that would be awesome 🙂
I found this on Pintrest and some pictures showed trees with glitter and some was painted. I almost grabbed my kiddo’s paint and painted the edges but got lazy after all the folding. LOL