Making Mini Book Charms, more Upcycling

Love the Little Things -- 

Another Upcycling installment


*Upcycling--for me--is all about taking something of no value, or extremely little value and turning it into something to treasure. These little things, due to their unique quirks, oddities and individual flaws, are precious to me . . . I hope you too can find the joy in making little treasure of your own--and maybe saving a little bit of space in that landfill . . .

Making Miniature Leather Charm-Sized Books

SUPPLIES:

PVA Book Glue
Small paint brush
Water and paper towels for clean-up
Weight
Rotary Cutter and self-heal mat and ruler, or a steady hand a good pair of scissors

Leather scraps



Some salvaged headbands (look closely at an old bound book, you'll see them. I saved these from last month's Upcycled Flowers and Folded Dresses)



A stack of old magazines, glue-bound--NOT staple-bound!





And a big paper cutter -- very big -- this is the hardest thing to come by for us ordinary folks. A lot of copy places have access, but at $1.00 per cut, it gets a bit spendy, particularly when (contrary to the picture) you can only really cut one magazine at a time--otherwise they squish out and produce odd shaped mini textblocks.




1- I found it easiest to chop the ENDS off (spine in). I highly recommend only doing ONE magazine at a time. Brace the end so it doesn't squish out if you can. I used a weight (you will see it later)

2- Cut the long tall skinny cut first--about 3/4" wide, then chop into about 1" tall magazine textblocks

Chopped up magazines =  mini text blocks that are oh-so-cute!

Cutting the Leather Covers

Gluing 'Out'

Book Mending Index

Gluing Out

Super simple -- but pictures show it best . . .

Locking a Thread onto the Needle

When you make your own books--as you sew your signatures--you use a waxed linen thread.

To eliminate a little frustration, lock the thread onto your needle.

No more accidental pulling the thread out of the needle half way through your project :)

Book Mending Index

1- Thread the needle

2- Flatten a section of thread near the tail with the bone folder

3- Pierce the flattened section

4- Pull thread down onto the needle

5- Keep pulling thread until tight and locked in

 

Now don't you wish this worked with regular thread too?

Book Mending Index

I have been, and am still working on, posting links on book mending. Use this index to link to each topic.
(I will activate the link as I post each topic)

Getting Started
When to Repair a Book
Basic Book Mending Kit
Supply Links, along with a few referrals


Mending
Tipping in a Torn out Page
     for when the page has been ripped out at it's roots (in the gutter)
Mending a Tear
     all the pieces are there, it's just ripped and torn
Archival Tissue Mends
      when you are missing a part of a page
Water Damage Fixes
      from little spills to full immersion
Cloth Spine Replacement
       for dog-eared and ripped spines
Fix a Separating Text Block
        for when the cover is fine, and the text block is fine, but the two are no longer together.


Preventative and One-Step Simple  Fixes
How to Open a New Book
Making a Mylar Book Cover
Mending Frayed Book Corners
Erasing Tips


Tech Tips
Locking Waxed Thread onto Needle
Gluing 'Out'

Book Mending -- mini series / Torn pages

It's the A.Dean Larsen Book Collectors Conference time of year again!

This year we learned how to do some book mending -- I know you are all just dying to learn how to mend your books (ha, ha, you're going to get it anyway) so on your mark, get set . . .

Book Mending Index

MENDING TORN PAGES

 The PVA Way

FIRST, ask yourself:  
Time costs money. Is it worth the time?
Is the book easily and cheaply replaceable?

Will you be decreasing the value of an antique by mending it?
 

Supplies:

 

-Book with torn page/s

-PVA Glue (Polyvinyl Acetate--Neutral PH)

-Large flat synthetic paint brush

-Silicone Release paper or Parchment paper (not wax paper, although it will do if you are in a bind)

-Teflon or Bone Folder

Teflon folder

Water and Paper Towels for clean-up

Weights, for pressure after (or a stack of books)

 

Before you start: 

If it is your personal book, go ahead, mend away. Try out your skills.

If the book in question is an antique--but still your own--use caution.

If the book is a LIBRARY book . . . we will hunt you down and make you pay . . . ha, ha. 

    But seriously, do not attempt to mend library books. You do not have access to the same tools, materials or expertise that libraries have. And they will make you pay--for the whole book, not just a cheap page mend fee.

1- Protect the pages underneath with a Silcone Release paper or Parchment paper.

2- Dip your paint brush in the pot of PVA. 

Tap off excess against the side of the jar. 

LESS IS BETTER. 

Gently but thoroughly apply PVA to the feathered edges of the tear. 

3- IMMEDIATELY place torn edges together and press smooth.

4- Burnish seam with a Teflon or Bone folder 








NOTE: 
This method does NOT work with scissor cuts. It is best for those ragged tears that have a lot of feathering on the edges.

PVA TIP: 
PVA dries fast. Cover your pot. Keep lid closed
Ordering online? Do not have your PVA shipped in cold weather. It cannot be allowed to freeze--at least not if you ever want to use it for more than a rather unattractive paper weight.
 

 

MEND ACCOMPLISHED

 

 A PVA mend to a 'LIFTED' tear

-where the paper has been lifted, or peeled up

 1- Apply PVA to lifted flap. Work fairly quick, quicker if your are in a dry climate.



--it's always a good idea to ISOLATE your mending page. Put Parchment paper underneath the page, even if the tear is not open to the page underneath.









2- Place parchment or silicone release paper on top of mend.











3- Shut book. If you have a nice flat board, place it on top of the book and then weight everything down.

At home, just place a stack of books -same sized and solid, for an alternative work around.

Warning: 

It looks easier than it really is, but with a little skill, you too can fix those personal, but well worn treasures, or a few of those salvaged books from the discard piles at your local library, or your neighborhood garage sales, or even your favorite used book stores.


This post would not have happened if not for the Harold B Lee Library's Archival and Mending department, the A. Dean Larsen Book Collecting Conference and instructors, James F. and Christina T.

Finishing it off...

Putting on the Cover

Supplies:

Scissors

PVA glue

Flat brush

Waste paper

Wax paper

Weight



Trim the crash

Carefully line everything up, is the block sqaure in the cover? Brush PVA glue OUT (start in center, brush to edges) Get glue on the top of the crash too. Carefully - VERY carefully roll the cover over and onto the endsheet.

I didn't realize how critical this part is and how difficult. Be VERY particular, because once you've rolled that cover over and onto the endsheet you will not want to lift it back off. Messy, messy and you are more than likely going to tear something.

Flip and repeat to back side. 

Insert a piece of wax paper between cover and  the loose endsheet. Then, under the wax paper, place a piece of heavier-weight paper. This one is to absorb the moisture so you don't get warping.  Do this to BOTH sides.

Now weight it all down (.more than one weight would ahve been nice), and let dry.

Want to know what's on deck?

Here is sneak peek at my next project! 

Curious? Go here; see if you can guess where I'm headed . . .

Decorating the Naked Book

Why Naked Book? Because there is no cloth covering on these boards!

Decorating the Boards

Supplies:

Lined (and now dry) cover

Gesso
Flat brush
Modeling Paste
Spatula
Various stuff to make impressions in paste
Acrylic paints, variety

Bowls for mixing paints

Water

Sponge

Metallic Rub'n Buff paint
Cotton cloth

Rennaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish

Paint a layer of Gesso on front and back of cover. You don't have to paint on the INSIDE of the spine, but DO paint the OUTSIDE of the cover.

 Apply Modeling Paste to the outside of the cover.

Not too thick.

Now, with your assembled 'things to make impressions' start playing in the paste!

 

Make sure you get a thin layer of modeling paste on the spine. If I were doing this one over, I would do a lighter layer on that spine.

Also make sure you are not getting paste on the inside of your cover.

DO get the edges of your cover.






Let dry, thoroughly.  Sand rough spots when dry.




 Assemble what acrylic paints you want. A touch of metallic is fun too!

You are going to mix enough water in a bowl with your paint to bring it to a milk-like consistancy.

You will apply a WASH of color with a wet sponge.

Remember: With a wash, start with the lightest colors FIRST. Build your color up.

Half way done...

 When acrylic is dry, buff a VERY TINY amount of metallic polish with a cotton cloth.



WARNING: a little goes a LONG way.

 To protect acrylic, rub a tiny (very tiny) amount of Renaissance Micro Crystalline Wax with another cotton cloth.

A preview... the finished books from our workshop!

Next: The last step... Setting the text block in the cover.

Assembling the Cover, Finishing the Signature

We have a bit of finishing to do before we can get to decorating the boards...


Finishing off the Text Block and Assembling the Cover


Supplies:

Crash or Muslin
Finished signature
Waste Paper
End papers
PVA glue
Small brush
Liner Paper
Lined cover boards
Pencil
Weight

Apply PVA glue to the flattened spine of your text block.

Line up crash (or you can use muslin) and glue to the spine of the text block.

Tipping in the endsheets...

The endsheets shown here are already folded in half.

Using the straight edge of a waste paper (the green paper here) apply PVA glue to the exposed edge of the folded endsheet.






Always brush OUT, off the waste paper and onto your surface to be glued.

This prevents glue from being swept underneath the waste paper edge and onto paper you don't want glue on.







Lift off waste paper.



Flip over the end sheet (glue side down)

Lifting up the crash, you don't want it glued down yet, line up and tip in the endsheet.

Repeat process for the second endsheet.

Both endsheets are tipped in and you are ready for the next step...

Applying the Liner to the Cover Boards

We are using this liner inside out.

Fold in the head and foot so it measures the same height as your text block.







Glue down the folded flaps

Round the liner paper over your spine.  Even up both top and bottom.

Line up your cover boards over the liner. Text block is still inside.

Mark with a pencil the glue lines - where your cover boards end and your liner/spine sticks out.


Place wax paper over the crash, you don't want glue on any of the text block yet.

Now brush PVA glue on the liner, adhere the cover boards. Weight and dry.

At some point here you want to trim your endsheets to match your signatures. A metal edged ruler/straight edge and a good blade are highly recommended.

Next: Decorating the Cover