Hooked on Old Books

I've always loved the charm of old children's books. They have a classic innocence to them. Most of all, I love the pictures! So, when I see one at a rummage or thrift store, I usually end up with it. I've been wanting to do something creative with them, and I came up with a couple of ideas.

Jacket or Hat Hanger
(1) The inside back cover of one of the books had adorable artwork. I removed it with a scissors.
(2) I applied mod podge across the page to give it a subtle, clean shine and flatten some of the tears in the paper.
(3) I hot glued a small piece from the girls' lincoln logs collection that would be used as the 'hook'.
(4) Glued tab from vegetable can to the back to be used as a hanger.

Finished product:


The Review: I need an exacto knife! That would have given it a cleaner edge. If I do this project again, I would use a simpler picture and a drawer pull for the hook to add more character. I think mine may be a little too much. I should have also applied a second coat of mod podge.


Kids' Marker Storage
Our beloved "Runaway Bunny" book was torn into pieces, and I was heartbroken because it was such a special book to both girls-obviously they loved it to pieces. Anyway... to how I made this-
(1) Hot glued pages to the cardboard backing of a book of scrapbook paper.
(2) Cleaned an empty vegetable can with soap and water, dried, then hot-glued it over the center of the book pages. (I applied about an inch-width of glue and pressed it against the book pages for 2 minutes.)
(3) There was already a hole at the top of the cardboard, so I used that to hang it.

Finished product:


The Review: If I do this project again, I would glue the book pages to a plank of wood a bit smaller than the board book pages. I would put one or two screws through the can to better secure it. I might also move the can to the bottom. I suppose one could also use a small cake pan.

Hanging By a Wire

I was browsing websites like Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, etc for inspirations for homemade wall decor. I ran across a gilt frame card holder on the Pottery Barn site. Such a great idea but I really didn't want to feel 'gilt-y' for spending $150 on it... so I got to thinking that I might be able to pull that off myself for a just a few dollars. I ran across an old picture I didn't plan to use anymore, but the black frame (somewhat decorated but not a gilt frame) would be perfect for my project! I removed the picture and glass from the frame (carefully using a hammer to remove the staples holding the picture in), then sanded the frame with light-weight sandpaper to give it a worn look. Next, I purchased a picture hook kit at Home Depot for $3 (includes hooks, screw eyes and wire). I screwed in 3 wires across the back of the frame and used paper clips (for now) to hang pictures/ cards from. I couldn't find the non-magnetic bulldog paper clips like the Pottery Barn picture shows.

Pottery Barn-


My finished product:



The Review: Fun project, worth the time. You may need a hammer to start a hole where you want to put the screw. You don't need the wire to be taut. It's actually easier to work with if a little crooked and long because you can adjust it a bit. I later ran across a gold frame that would have looked more like the PB version. Bummer.