Stickers and Stilettos

Home of sticky and sharp things

  • Motherhood
  • For the Home
    • Decor
    • Organization
  • Food
  • Fitness
  • Books
  • Travel
  • Entertaining
  • Relationships
  • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
  • About
You are here: Home / For the Home / Decor / Guest Post: Vintage Book Tutorial

in Decor

Guest Post: Vintage Book Tutorial

vintage book painting tutorial

Today’s post is a guest post! That’s right, we just had to share this amazing tutorial written by our friend Ashley from Ashley Noble Photography. We love her idea and her style!

three tiered tray
tray here & greenery here

Looking for a quick and easy indoor DIY project? This is fun for kids too! Turn your old books into a new décor piece for a tiered tray or shelf.

What you need:

-Old Books

-Parchment Paper

-Scissors

–Twine

–Flocked Lambs Ear plants (or any greenery )

-Chalk Paint (I love Annie Sloan)

-Foam paint brush

-Alphabet Stamps

–Stamp Pad

vintage book painting tutorial

Cover your table with parchment paper to avoid paint drips and spills. I prefer to rip off the front and back covers of the books. I love the final look of the words showing through. You could also leave the covers on two of the books and just tear off the covers on your top book that will be visible. Try to find books that are similar in width but with varying thickness. If you have books that are exactly alike, it tends to look like wood blocks.

Chalk paint is great for so many projects. It’s easy to work with, requires no sanding on most wood projects, has almost no scent and it dries fast. (Great for impatient kids that are helping you)

Start by painting a thin coat over the cover, spine, and back of the book. I stand them on their ends while drying. You will need to apply a few coats or until you have completely covered the area. Allow the coats to dry in between. Stick a fan on them and they should dry within a few minutes.

old books painted with chalk paint

Once you have finished painting, allow 30 minutes before you begin stamping. These stamps are functional and also cute to leave out on display.

vintage rubber stamp set

Have fun with the wording you choose. These make great gifts with a new baby’s name, the last name of a new bride. Maybe your families’ favorite saying or an inspirational quote. There are so many possibilities.

old books painted with chalk paint

After stamping your books, it’s time to decorate. Stack your books and wrap the top of your book 3 or 4 times with twine and tie a bow. Then stick a piece of lambs ear greenery,  a cottonwood stem, or lavender in the twine. You have instantly transformed your old books! Add them to a display tray, entry table, or your favorite shelf.

rae dunn decor
vintage book painting tutorial

Thank you Ashley for sharing this great idea!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Tweet
Pin6K
Share40
6K Shares

« Red Velvet Ice Cream
Toddler and Baby Valentine Crafts »

Comments

  1. Cynthia says

    February 2, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    Great idea! I’ll definitely have to give it a go!

  2. YourFriendPablo says

    February 3, 2019 at 1:45 am

    Great, I really like it! Youre awesome

  3. Judy says

    May 4, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    Great idea!!! Where did you get your stamping set???

  4. Janrt says

    June 20, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    I am looking for chalk paint to do this project for table decorations for a church activity so will be doing at least 15 books. How much will I need and I see some chalk paint that is wax and some is not. What am I looking for.
    Thanks

    • Kelly says

      June 23, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      Hello! One small can of paint (as pictured in our post) will be enough as it goes a loooooong way. The waxed paint is not necessary for this project but is more useful when painting woods. Good luck!

  5. Sandra says

    January 3, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    Where can I find the stamps blocks .? do they I actually have ink ? Do I need to wait until the books or dryer before I stamp them?

    • Kelly says

      January 4, 2020 at 7:50 am

      Hi Sandy!
      The exact alphabet stamps that we used (pictured) are currently unavailable. Here is another great set: https://amzn.to/2QnwMN3
      We used a separate black ink pad as they are not already inked. And yes, we do recommend letting the books dry before stamping. Have a great day!

  6. Annie says

    March 16, 2022 at 2:58 pm

    Alphabet stamps, either new or vintage are pricey! Another alternative is adhesive lettering found in the scrapbook and papercraft aisles in stores like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnn, etc. The lettering is available in a variety of fonts, lower and upper case; comes several sheets to a package @ $5 per package. I remove the letters I want to use and gently stick them on a piece of wax paper, Using very thin coats of white chalk or matte craft paint, I paint over the letters some areas thicker than others, and let them dry. The letters are very easily lifted from the wax paper and added to the spines of the books. I go over the letter with a quick thin coat of Matte Mod Podge and achieve the same look without the expense.

Recent Posts

  • Marble Dipped Marshmallow Egg Pops
  • Musee Bath Favorites for Spring
  • Rainbow Fruit Board
  • Easy 2 Ingredient Copycat Thin Mint Cookies
  • Valentine’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Recent Comments

  • Annie on Guest Post: Vintage Book Tutorial
  • Rainbow Fruit Board - Stickers and Stilettos on Rainbow Noodles Sensory Play
  • JR on Mudroom Cabinet Reveal
  • Toya on Mudroom Cabinet Reveal
  • Valentine’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich - Stickers and Stilettos on Strawberry Whip Topped Milk

Archives

  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018

Categories

  • About
  • Beauty
  • Books
  • Decor
  • Entertaining
  • Fashion
  • Fitness
  • Food
  • For the Home
  • Motherhood
  • Organization
  • Relationships
  • Style
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • About

Archives

Instagram

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

what can we help you find?

Copyright © 2022 · Stickers and Stilettos