Book Page Wreath DIY (Part II)


book page wreath four colors

After making my first book page wreath, I made a second one while showing some friends how to do it.  If you’d like to try it, you can find my tutorial here .

It was so interesting to see how different the colors turned out simply by using a different book.

One thing led to another, and I made four just to demonstrate how the book you choose will influence the final product.

The first one I made is from a dictionary, purchased at the dollar store.  The paper is a newsprint kind of page.  You can see how it’s more grey in color than it is white.

newspring book wreath

The book was approximately 5 x 8 inches in size, so the wreath turned out a lot more full.  The pages were also very thin, so the rolls in the paper are softer.


The second book wreath I made came from a falling apart murder mystery I picked up at the thrift store.  It was more like 4 x 6 inches in size, and the pages were yellowed with age.  This also meant that they were more stiff.

yellowed book page wreath

The final product was smaller in size when I finished, due to the smaller pages.  It wasn’t as full, but was still pretty.  I liked how it took on more of a brown tone instead of a gray one.


Intrigued, I went back to the thrift store and found a small book, about 3 x 5 inches in size, but with crisp white pages and bold black print along with some small black and white illustrations on each page.  I was curious how “black and white” it would look.

book page wreath

This wreath was definitely the lightest in color, as well as the smallest in size.  It’s really fun to look at, though, because the pages I used were so interesting due to changes in font size and tiny illustrations on every page.


On the last two wreaths I made, I tore some pages into strips and glued them around the foam wreath so you wouldn’t see any Styrofoam in the finished product.


The last book I used was chosen for it’s creamy white pages and the red ink on the edge of the pages.  The red didn’t go all the way around the outer edges of the book, so I bought a good tomato red acrylic paint to match and painted the other two sides.  I was really generous with the paint because I wanted to be able to see the red.  Like my first project, this book was about 5 x 8 inches, so it turned out really full.

book page wreath

I love the red edges!


You could use so many other pages, as well!  What about an atlas?  I think that a blue colored steno notepad could also be really fun.   When we think about books, we tend to think of them all as being pretty much the same inside, as far as color goes.  Yet it is so interesting to see the subtleties in color changes when they’re used next to each other in a project like this.

The one in my family room enjoyed a red ribbon and a bird for the holidays.

bird on book wreath

I hung one on my laundry room door for fun, since it’s at the end of a hallway and I like to make it pleasant for myself to visit my laundry room (this increases the chances for clean clothes at our house).

book page wreath hanging on door

I like all four of these wreaths for different reasons, and in different places.  The question I have is, which one is your favorite?

book page wreaths

If you haven’t made one yet, I really hope you’ll try it.  And I’d love to hear your what kind of book you use, too.


Lest you think that it would be a waste if you decided you don’t like it, just give it to your 9 year old son and see what he does:

boy wearing book wreath


boy wearing book wreath

Just wanted to make you smile.  Have a great day!

8 comments

  • Krisrten

    my favorite is top left- the black and white one. The one I made is yellow and it had red speckles on the outside. I didn’t add any ink to it at all, but I still like it. I want to try one that is smaller- I think I may start out with a smaller styrofoam wreath form and make a small one to hang on a wall next to some picture frames.
    P.S. I got my ribbon from May Arts today. 🙂

  • Emily

    My favorite is the one with the illustrations! I will get a photo of my map one up this weekend!!
    xo
    E

  • hi– its me… loving the task of perusing your blog for wall colors… LOVE YOUR BOOK WREATHS! my two favs are the old mystery book wreath and the red-tipped edges wreath. totally different looks!

    question— the wall shown here, whats the color on it? not sure what room i’m “in!”

    Angie

  • jennifer

    Hi Angie,
    The wall color in this post is a different one. Another Sherwin Williams color, SW 6505, called Atmospheric. It’s more of a true light blue, no aqua in it. In my house I have three different shades of blue, this one and the two I mentioned to you. I have some walls where these colors touch one another. I love all three and the way they change with the light. I live in an area where most of the color on people’s walls tends to be brown. People come into my home and comment on how refreshing it feels. I live in the middle of Utah, but they feel like they’re on the coast. These colors just make me happy! Hope that helps. Jennifer

  • My fav is the bottom right, it looks darker and more antiquey=)Seeing your son gave me an idea…..you could totally spray paint it red and use it as a clown wig for Halloween also!! I love it!

  • dana

    I love your book page wreaths especially the red one. Thanks!

  • Really like them all! Simply love the one with the red paint edged pages. Have been perusing blogs and sites for ideas to make my own page wreath. Can’t wait to try them out. My father and I are pilots you have given me a great idea for all those old flight charts as well!

    -Bev

  • jennifer

    I’m glad you like the wreaths. They are a lot of fun to make. My new favorite page wreath is this one: http://hopefulhomemaker.com/wp/2011/01/18/paper-rosette-wreath/
    Thanks for stopping by!
    Jennifer

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