Book Page Decorating Obsession

When it comes to my favorite decor material, book pages are my number one go to  solution.

I hate to get rid of my old books so using them on projects to decorate and organize my home is a great solution for me!

In my craft room I've used book pages on bankers boxes and other containers to coordinate my storage. Whenever I run across black and white gift wrap or contact paper I use them on other boxes since I really like the way the book pages and the prints complement each other.

Insanely Creative Christy restyled this $1 bathroom cabinet using dictionary pages while I was laid low by chemo. This is still one of  my favorite book page projects ever!

Of course I had to try book pages for Christmas decor and I REALLY LOVE the way the recycled pages look on the balls, snowflake garlands and "post it note" origami flowers.

And, of course, I restyled/disguised the brass and glass dining room light that The Welding Man loves so much. I'm really liking the shapes and different layers of lights in this recycled chandelier.

The Welding Man made me a wrought iron bakers rack some years ago and I decorate it all year long for the seasons. This year I made this book page wreath with a little nest in the middle for the wall above the bakers rack. I added leaves from various books, the book page covered vase and also the long legged birds. Along the edge you can see the book page leaf garland I made for this display. I love how it all comes together!

My family knows I will restyle just about anything with old book pages. I am always on the look out for vintage dictionaries that are damaged beyond use that have some wonderfully aged paper.

Here's another close look at the book page leaf garland. I really like it! Now I'm thinking that if I dyed the pages in shades of green they would make a gorgeous leaf garland. I'll have to try it!

And here's a new project......art on a book page background. I used colored pencils, paint and ink to make this tattoo design which includes most of my creative tools plus a wonderful quote from my sister.

Post It Note Christmas Flowers

Here are the simple book page ornaments we've made for our little tabletop trees, including a punched paper snowflake garland, Mod Podged balls and these pretty little origami flowers. I love the look of a vintage black and white Christmas with all these elements.

For cheap and easy Christmas decor, you can't go wrong with recycled book pages. One of my favorite projects are these book page flowers.

I call them Post It Note Flowers because they work up beautifully using a 3" x 3" square of paper, so in a leap of naming logic there ya go. They are really origami kusadama flowers and they've been around forever. I'll give you a link to an origami website at the end of this post in case my instructions lead you hopelessly astray. ; 0 )

Start with a post it note or any size of paper as long as it is perfectly square. IF YOU USE post it notes, you will start with the gummy side at the bottom right and gently separate the layers if they become stuck. I LOVE these in hot pink, but I don't have any paper that color right now.
Fold bottom to top, then sides in to form a diamond, then fold each side out from the middle.
Unfold each side "wing" so it looks like a kite, then fold the top of these side kites inwards so now you will have a middle kite shape with matching side triangles. Fold each triangle once inwards.
Roll into a cone and hot glue the two folded sides in the middle. You need at least five to form a flower shape, tho I have seen them with more. Hot glue all the cones together and don't worry if you have a little gap in the center, even real flowers have a little opening in their middle.

We've made ours out of vintage dictionary pages to go along with our simple white Christmas theme.

And the Live, Laugh, Love ornaments? Simply book pages cut into small rectangles then Mod Podged onto Christmas balls. I hand wrote the words on each ball with a Pigma pen, then sealed them all with clear acrylic. You could also use a Cricut or Silhouette for the words, or print them and cut them out to match the book pages and Mod Podge them on. Simple, pretty and inexpensive. We like!

Here is a link to a real origami website with great instructions and lots of samples for these pretty flowers...

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/origami_kusadama_flowers

I'll be joining the parties on my sidebar. Come join the fun and see the neat projects posted this week!