READ

This post might make some of you shudder and groan because I tore up a book for a craft, but you'll have to get over it, okay?  The thing is, I'm overrun with books I've discarded from the library that no one wants.  And admit it, there are those books that really could have not been printed, right?  I've got old almanacs, falling apart dictionaries, stupid novels donated by well meaning persons that couldn't bring themselves to toss them so they gave them to me, outdated reference books..... I've got lots of craft material just waiting to be used on book carts because no one will take them and I'm too lazy busy to haul them to the dumpster.

I decided to put my glueing and tearing skills to use and create these one of a kind and almost free posters for my library.

To begin, I found a suitable book.  One without pictures or profanity.  Especially one without profanity.  I tore the pages out and glued them to poster board cut into letter shapes.  ( oh dear, I just saw a cuss word on that page up there!  I hope I didn't use it!)

At first, I just glued the pages in, unadorned.  But then I decided the letters needed some dimension so I began highlighting random phrases with colored pencils.  This is where it became important that the book contain no profanity or else I had to be choosy on my page choice and highlighting!

I also realized that the edges looked better with dimension so I rubbed the edges of the paper against a black ink pad.  There might be a simpler, less messy way to do this and I'd have preferred brown ink, but I had to work with what was available!

Running these through the laminator would make them last longer but decided I preferred the letters to be flat, not shiny and the dimension from some of the turned up corners of the pages was appealing.

Each letter is the sized of a poster board--I just eyed it and drew the letter on before cutting out the shape to glue the pages too.  

I like the way it turned out--it's a giant, graphic reminder to READ!  And it was basically free except for the time and the glue sticks.  

I've got some more projects in mind that involve destroying books.  I can't wait to do them!  

Follow me on Pinterest and you can see those ideas on my "Making" and "Books and Quotes" boards. Do you 'do' Pinterest?  I have the worst time deciding where to 'catalog' things on there sometimes!