The Only Good Reason To Destroy a Book

As the title of this post may tell you, at this point in time I believe there is only one good reason to destroy a book. Give me some time, and I could probably think of more, but for now the only reason is for it to be in the name of arts and crafts. You might be thinking, "That's nice Allison, but what does that have to do with us?" Well, today I'm showing you what I think is the book DIY to end all other book DIYs, the jewelry box book! This project is a little bit challenging and time consuming, but worth the effort.

Also a great for hiding that stash of junk food your parents don't know about.

First, you're going to need some supplies. The most obvious of course, is hardcover book you are willing to cut apart. Mine was a discard from the school library with about 300 pages. Keep details like these in mind when picking your book, it needs to be deep enough to hold your jewelry, but it can be hard to make if the book is extremely long. Next, you're going to need an x-acto knife to cut out the center of your book. You can find them at Michaels, but if you have never used one before, watch this safety video (you can skip the first part about the parts of the knife), and use this practice sheet first. I'm not going to get into the graphic details, but x-acto knives are dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Last on our mandatory list is mod podge. As always, there are infinite possibilities for other supplies to decorate your book including: patterned paper, stickers, and ribbon.

Next, measure an inch border around your pages as an outline for where to cut. I was able to cut through at least five pages each time, and more if I went over my cuts multiple times. Try to keep all the pages lined up as you cut to keep an even border. Use a binder clip to keep the pages you already cut out connected to your cover, and out of the way. Also, once I got about half way I decided to start working from the back so I didn't have to worry about the pages I already cut getting in my way. This is the most time consuming part of the project so stay patient. Your inside may not be perfect, but that's okay.

I don't even think I need a jewelry box, but I guess it's never really about what I need.

Now, if you wanted to put patterned paper over the cover, this is the time to do it. I like to cut mine about an inch longer than what I need around each edge so I can fold them down and glue them to the other side to prevent the paper from peeling up. Next, glue all your pages together with mod podge by coating all the sides including the newly created inside. Make sure that while your back cover is glued down to create your bottom, the front cover remains unstuck. I coated everything twice just to be sure. Wait for it to dry, and your done!

I hope you enjoy your jewelry box, and if you want to see the original video click here. Check out my new page filled with other things I have made, and watch out for the occasional poll. Feel free to comment, and leave suggestions. See you wonderful freaks later!