Book Page Crafts: Making Stunning Paper Flowers
If you love to read you will love these DIY book page flowers made from, you guessed it, the pages of a book. Now I know some may gasp at the thought but this is a great way to recycle and reuse old books that are destined for a worse fate.
In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of creating exquisite paper blossoms out of book pages. Get ready to unleash your creativity and add a touch of literary charm to your decor!
Paper flowers made from books are the perfect decoration for book club events, libraries, English classrooms or as home decor for anyone looking for something a little different.
Use a paper bloom bouquet as a gift for a favorite teacher or other person who loves to read. Use it instead of a bow on a wrapped book or a gift bag. There are so many ways to use these beauties – and they are so easy to make!
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First – you need a book that is primarily text.
You don’t want to use pages with pictures or even large blank areas. Be sure the book you choose isn’t anything of real value like a first edition! Books are easy to find at thrift stores, garage sales or the Little Free Library network around the world.
I built a Little Free Library when I moved into my home and it is a hot spot for walkers and people will stop while driving by to see what they can find. I went to my box and found a 575 page book that I used for flowers and other decorations for a Book Club Party.
MAKE THE FLOWERS FROM BOOK PAGES
Use an x-acto knife and carefully cut pages from your book, as close to the spine as possible. (fig. 1)
Trim the pages to straighten them on the cut side and then cut the bottom margin off. (fig. 2) you can do this with multiple pages at a time.
Cut the pages into squares.
Put 2 pages together and fold in half diagonally. (fig. 3)
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
Fold again (fig. 4) and again (fig. 5).
Cut the side away from the point, as close to the paper edges as possible. (fig. 6)
You can cut a large curve, 2 curves so it looks like a heart as I did, one or two points. The shape you cut will determine the shape of the petals so try different things and have fun!
Cut a second set of 2 so you have book pages.
Fold a single square and cut into 2 points, lower on the paper than the first 2 sets of paper (fig. 7) – this will be the center of the flower and give more texture to your flower. (If you are making multiple flowers you can cut these two at a time as well, but you only need one per flower.)
(figure 4)
(figure 5)
(figure 6)
(figure 7)
Stack the 5 papers with the smaller piece on top and twist them papers so the petal curves aren’t all lined up. (fig. 8)
Fold in half and punch a small hold in the center, about 1/4″ up from the fold. (fig. 9)
Secure with a wire or piece of string. (fig. 10)
(figure 8)
(figure 6)
(figure 7)
Open all 5 papers up and taking one at a time, pinch and fold them up to create a shape you like. (fig. 11)
Continue with each layer (fig. 12) until all 5 are done.
Adjust the paper and folds until you are happy with how your flower looks. (fig. 13)
(figure 11)
(figure 12)
(figure 10)
ADD PAPER LEAVES
After you cut the squares to make the flowers you will find you have a lot of thinner pieces of book pages left. These are perfect for making leaves!
Cut leaf shapes out of a few pieces at a time – I just eyeball the shape so I end up with a variety, like in nature. (fig. 14) You want to make sure you make them in pairs that match for the next step tho.
Tape a piece of wire to one paper leaf. Put adhesive on top of the wire and leaf then put a second leaf on top to hide the wire and tape. (fig. 15)
Fold the leaf in half and then open it again. (fig. 16)
Twist the wire from the leaf around the base of the flower. (fig. 17)
Adjust and position the leaf until you are happy with the results. (fig. 18)
(figure 14)
(figure 15)
(figure 16)
(figure 17)
(figure 18)
So pretty, right? With a little creativity and a few simple materials, you can transform discarded book pages into captivating paper flowers. This DIY project allows you to preserve the beauty of literature and to breathe new life into old books.
LOVE THIS IDEA?
Leave a comment and let me know how and where you plan to use book page flowers.
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