Make Vintage Style Books (Part 2) With Crackle Paint

Here is a row of my restyled books in my bookshelf. They aren't antique collectors' editions, they are all modern hardbacks that I've redone for a vintage look. Please note-no books are destroyed making them over like this. They are all still readable!

In Part One of this post I showed how I decoupaged pretty papers to hardback books using Mod Podge, hot glue and paint. Here's a link...

http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-to-restyle-books-to-look-like.html

Here in Part Two I'll show you how to use a cheap and easy crackle technique with Elmer's school glue and craft paint. You can give your books a cool antique look and upstyle your bookcases and decor.

Here is a set of three books redone in black and red and a little bit of gold paint. See how cool they turned out? For these projects you will need hard back books, craft paint, hot glue, Elmer's school glue and paint brushes. You probably already have everything on hand in your stash!

 First, choose your book and paint the whole cover in the base color you want to show under the finished crackle. I used black craft paint on this book, then added fake "stitching" with hot glue. The ruler helps get the "stitching" straight and evenly spaced. Note-It took two more coats of black paint to cover the title on the spine.

Once the craft paint is dry I painted a coat of slightly watered down Elmer's school glue over the whole cover. Dollar Store school glue also works for this technique. Brush the glue on in an even layer then let it dry for a few minutes. For the next step the glue MUST BE TACKY. If it is NOT STICKY the top layer of paint will not crack!

Using a soft bristled brush and long strokes in one direction ONLY, add your top coat in your choice of color of acrylic latex craft paint. Do NOT brush back and forth or dab your paint. Use long even strokes going one way for an even crackle texture to form.

Within a few moments the cracks will start to show. I LOVE watching this part!

Once the crackled paint was dry, I added precut labels to two of my books and a skeleton key to the other. Then I dry brushed black paint over all the edges and the "stitched" spines to bring out the details. I also added gold metallic paint to one label.

Here's another look at the three finished red books. For additional texture on the bottom and top books, I first Mod Podged crinkled up tissue paper before painting the base color, then proceeded with the glue and paint crackling. The dry brushing at the end really highlights the crinkled paper, making it look like old leather.

My livingroom colors are turquoise, red and brown, so these books are PERFECT for making my livingroom pretty and colorful!

My books have never looked this GOOD! I did not spend any money on restyling these books since I had everything on hand in my stash. Mod Podge, hot glue, paint, tissue, Elmer's glue and pre cut labels.

I'm making them in sets of three in different colors and trying them out for wedding decor. We have three family weddings this year and these will look beautiful on the reception tables.

And more...

and even skeleton keys for Halloween!

And last but not least, turquoise with black patterned papers, including damask!

This is a fun and inexpensive way to add beautiful color and texture to your home's decor. Try it, you'll like it!

Halloween Fun in my Etsy shop!

This red haired witch design is one of my most popular paintings. Besides the black roses and the October tree, the sponged edges are full of skulls, bats, pumpkins and spiders. So much fun to paint!

By special request, The Welding Man made me some rusty cutouts for Halloween years ago and we've been selling those designs ever since. Love the heavily rusted finish which is sealed for vintage texture. There is also a rusty Halloween cat in my store.

Ah, I love this necklace design. Last year Martha Stewart picked it for her Best of Halloween Gallery. That happened the same week I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so this necklace represents all the positive things that came after that. Counting my blessings, oh yes!


I've been painting my vintage style Halloween banners since 2007. This is a popular design with LOTS of fun details. I LOVE the color combination of bright orange and black.


Every kitchen needs a bit of Halloween style, and this spooky skeleton towel set is just a little bit scary and a lot of fun. I have two different spooky styles this year!

I make these ornaments every year for our house and I always list them on Etsy. They look good hanging or grouped in a cloche or basket or as accents for that special Halloween tablescape.

One of my favorite banner designs. This one just SOLD out of my shop.

A group of my banners hanging on our porch. What a traffic stopper! These originals have all sold but I repaint new ones from these designs every year. Love the colors!

I have lots more listed so please take a moment to stop by my shop. The button is on my sidebar. You never know just what you will find! Thanks!

UGLY platter turned rustic bakery sign

Here is the sign I painted for our kitchen; it hangs above the counter where The Welding Man bakes all our bread. Heaven is his home made bread sliced thin and toasted crisp with sweet butter! Yum! Add my sister's home made scrumptious concord grape jelly and you are in taste bud nirvana.

Ahem. Okay, this sign did not always look like this. It started out as a plastic turkey platter, a huge orange and yellow monster measuring 21" wide x 15" high. The kids called it the Chernobyl Turkey Platter. Ugly. The only time it looked good was when it was piled high with turkey, trust me on this. But we only used it once or twice a year and our kitchen NEEDED a dash of style, or wit, or something for right there on that wall...


I could say I spared you the sight of the crazy orange and yellow and brown platter in its former glory but actually, I wasn't blogging back in February and didn't even think to take a pic. But right here is the start, a fresh coat of gloss black spray paint. Hmmmm, not working with the vibe I had for a rustic bakery sign.....



Oooh, better. I went to my tried-and-true-I-like-it-so-there rustification process of crumpled torn tissue paper mod podged to the rim. Which I didn't take a picture of. Man. But here it is with a coat of flat black acrylic paint. Okay, I'm heading in the right direction....


More torn tissue paper decoupage goodness and a wash of white paint to bring out the texture. This is looking rustic and old and downright decrepit! Alrighty then, now we're getting there.....


I used craft paint for the lettering and dry brushed for a worn, aged feel around the letters. Then I used red for little wingdings and doohickeys on the letters, just as you'd find on old hand painted signs. I wanted this to look like a sign you'd find in a small village or town and not a slick commercial sign. I also added a rough edged border in red to make the white pop.


And here it is with pride of place in the kitchen. I love the oval shape and the rim that looks like a frame and the rough texture and the black and red and white! So now, you guessed it, I am on the lookout for more big plastic turkey platters, ugly or not, for rustic, shabby chic signs in the bathrooms and even my craft room.

This week I'm posting this on Funky Junk Interiors sign themed party. I love old signs and she has so many great ideas in her own home, I have sign envy. Come visit and share the love!