Book Page Crafts and Paper Christmas Ornament Tutorial

Becky's Thanksgiving Vintage Book Table Decorations From Murfreesboro, TN

Look at those gorgeous place settings above! I was so inspired by what a friend had done for holiday decor at a Thanksgiving dinner, that I decided to pay tribute to the creative hostess (and great cook) by writing about using vintage books for crafts. Even the most avid readers will sometimes find that they have a dusty tome or two that will never see the light of day, and if you lack books for crafting, check your nearest thrift store or yard sales. You can often get bargains on tattered and torn books that are perfect for crafting. In fact, the yellowing and patina of age adds a nostalgic touch. 

There are many things you can create with old books; they also look great on a bookshelf as decor. You can find instructions for advanced projects such as purses and book safes online, or you can tear out the pages to use in a myriad of ways. I like vintage books, magazines, and maps for card making, decoupage, wrapping small packages, and shredding into confetti. In the last picture, you can see how I used them to wrap small sample candles that I enclose with orders for my etsy shop. 

Today, I am going to show you an easy holiday project, making the paper ball Christmas ornament in the picture below. 

Materials:

-magazine or book pages

-quick drying glue

-large hole punch or die cutter (3 inch punch shown in picture)

-alcohol ink dyes for color, optional

-small hole punch

-string for hanging

Paper Ornament, Glue Runner, 3 inch Punch, Small Hole Puncher

 Step 1:
-Punch 14 large circles with the large die cut. If desired, use the alcohol inks to stain the paper and let it dry before punching.

Step 2:
-Fold the 14 large circles in half.

Fold the Circles in Half

Step 3:
-Using fast dry glue or adhesive, glue the 14 large folded circles together, so that it forms a sphere as the paper unfolds.

Step 4:
-Glue the first and 14th circles together, forming a sphere.

Step 5:
-Let the adhesive dry and punch a hole in the top for hanging.

Glue the Folded Circles Together

Book Pages Used As Candle Favor Packaging

Remembering Home

Josh Hawkins Designed Tennessee Posters

"I was raised in Knoxville. I went to Karns High School, home of the Beavers! Which is definitely the most respected and feared mascot in the sports world." - Josh Hawkins

Today we are going to talk with Josh, the owner of our featured shop, TheBrainFreeze on Etsy. Josh is from Tennessee, but moved away, and found himself nostalgic for home, the heart of Tennessee. He started making posters from elements of original design and vintage book photographs. What you see here in the picture is a series of posters devoted to places in Tennessee. What a great idea to celebrate this state and honor the photographers of the past! Let's see what Josh has to say about himself and his creations. Here is his story:






"My name is Josh Hawkins and I live & work in NYC. I write music by day and design art by night. My artwork is not my career so I can do whatever I want with it. I like it that way. I take Polaroid pictures and dabble in lomography but most of my art usually consist of manipulated vintage photographs that have a surreal or dreamy feel.

It started when I started looking for artwork to hang in my home. I knew all about Hatch show print & Yeehaw print shop, who produce really great letterpress posters, but I struggled to find something that was in a more modern style. So I took it upon myself to make new artwork dedicated to Tennessee. The initial creative process for me starts by searching through my secret catalogue of images from old textbooks, public domain archives and photos I've taken. I almost never start a design from scratch. I just look for something that draws my attention and then from there it's a blur...

Even though I live in Brooklyn now I was born & raised in Tennessee. Moving away made me realize how great that state is. Now every time I come visit for Christmas or a quick escape from NYC I always pack 3-4 cameras and tons of film because I know I will find some great shots to capture. So even though I'm constantly surrounded by tall buildings & subways I find my roots always pushing me towards the scenery of the south for inspiration.

The only solid plans I have are just to experiment more with photography. I definitely plan on continuing to produce prints but my work will be less focused on a specific place. HOWEVER, I will not be a one hit wonder I promise you that!"

Here is his favorite poster, a tribute Knoxville, TN, the Marble City.

You can find his shop and other work here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBrainFreeze