Now that fall is here, let’s get creative and transform old books into pumpkin decor. Not only is this craft project eco-friendly, but it’s also a unique and a charming addition to any home. I love the rustic look these pumpkins have from the old pages to the orange texture on the outside, it is so cute.
Books have been around for many, many centuries, even before the invention of the printing press that dates back to the 15th century. Books were and continue to be a source for information, sharing history and telling stories. Not only do we get to enjoy them to read, but also to look at.
Nowadays, you’ll find many other uses for them in terms of design and decor. There is a peak in interest about old books and a wall of bookcases that is really popular in interior design. They have become a sense of style and decor in our homes and it’s beautiful. Book pages are being used in so many creative ways. In fact, books are more commonly being used to create unique art.
I love that you can transform old books to create both cute and festive pieces. So this project is a favorite!
Book pumpkin supply list
- Old books
- Pen or pencil
- Utility knife or scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Orange spray paint
- Paper bag with handles or wood slices (for the stem)
- Artificial leaves
If you don’t have access to old books, garage sales, thrift stores and the dollar store are great places to find those books at a good price. This DIY can be made on a small budget & it looks beautiful when it’s finished.
Collect your materials and let’s get crafting this rustic pumpkin project.
Transform old books into pumpkin decor
First, remove the cover from the book. Use a utility knife to carefully cut between the cover and the book binding. If the book has a hardcover, remove and set aside for a different project, cause you can do a lot of cool things with hardcovers.
Next, draw a half circle on the front page. This is the outline of your pumpkin. It is going to give you the shape of the pumpkin. Carefully cut away the pages, following the dotted line as interpreted in the following picture. Cut through all of the pages until you have a shape of a half circle. Keep the spine intact, this is going to give you the shape of the pumpkin that you need.
To have a larger, fuller pumpkin, you may need to use multiple books. All of them should be cut similar. Take your first already trimmed book and use it as a stencil for the other book(s). Lay it on top of the other book, lining up the spine, trace the half circle edge & cut like you did with the first. I used three books to create the fullness of my pumpkin.
Form the pumpkin shape
Once all the books are cut similarly, we can start gluing and bringing it to shape. If only using one book, glue the front page to back page. If using multiple books, it will be something like… glue the back page of the first book to front of the second book. Then glue to last page of the second book to the front page of the third book. Before attaching the last of the pages together, stand the books up so you can glue all the spines of the books together. Add lots of glue to the spines of the books for a little extra support. Once the are all glued together, we can glue the last page of the third book, to the front page of the first book. This creates the round shape.
Now, randomly glue different clumps of pages together. I like the way this will fan out, creating a larger, fuller pumpkin shape. I suggest gluing as many pages together as you need to create the fullness you like. When the shape is set, add color. Spray painting the outside edges of the books with orange, gives it that typical pumpkin vibe. I love how cute this turned out!
Lastly, a brown paper bag with handles can create a cute stem for the top. Another cute option is slices of wood. I used (3) small but thick slices of wood for the stem. I also added a fake green leaf for a little extra on top.
And there you have it, a touch of fall added to your life when you transform old books into various craft projects or in this case, pumpkins! I have this baby out half of the year because I just love it. I also think you could leave this natural and add it in your office or other neutrally decorated space.
If you created this art project, I would love to see how it turned out. Feel free to share with me on my social media. @EmjaybeeDesign #EmjaybeeDesign
Here’s to craft projects that inspire you to break out your creative and crafty side while making life beautiful!
♥ Megan
Before you leave, be sure to check out the rest of my creative blog for more projects, crafts and other fun stuff.
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