How to Turn a Mail-Order Catalog Into an Altered Book

With the holidays approaching fast, there’s an abundance of mail order and store catalogs flooding mailboxes far and wide. There are always a number of these catalogs destined for the recycling bin. So, why not turn them into art? This project does require a bit of advance planning in terms of supply gathering.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Catalog
• Glue sticks
• Gel or decoupage medium
• Empty cereal boxes (cut up so it’s only the front and back)
• Handmade envelopes
• Altered tags
• Used postage
• Buttons and other interesting objects (game pieces, etc.) to use as embellishments
• Watercolor or acrylic paint
• Paint brushes or sponge brushes
• Scissors
• Small containers of water
• Decorative paper
• Old book pages
• Brown paper bags
• Distress ink
• Rubber stamps
• Ink pad
• Clip art
• Sharpies
• Brads and eyelets

1. Use other pieces of junk mail for this project, as well, if there's interesting text or images. Collect enough cereal boxes (or boxes similar in size) so that one facing (either the front of the back) can slide in between every page of the catalog. You’ll also need one for the front of the catalog and one for the back of the catalog. Cut the boxes so there’s a one half inch border sticking out from the edge of all three sides of the page when the box is placed flush against the seem of the catalog. Using gel or decoupage medium, glue the box pieces to the back of every page in the catalog, to the front cover of the catalog and the back cover of the catalog. Set the book under a heavy stack of books to dry completely over night.
2. Paper or plastic? Answer, "paper," until you have enough collected for this project. The first layer of paper to add to the book pages and the cover is the brown paper bags. Cover every surface, including the cover, with brown papers bags. This can be done so each bag is cut exactly to size, of you can piece the paper bag in a patchwork style. Use either gel or decoupage medium during this step. Set the book under a heavy stack of books, once again, to dry. (This will allow it to dry flat.)
3. Choose a damaged book for this phase of the project so it can be torn apart without guilt. The next step involves the decorative paper and the old book pages. Add some interest by deckling the edges (either with deckle edge scissors or by hand) and ink the edges of each piece using Distress Ink. Add them to every page of the book using the glue sticks. Follow this step by adding drips, blobs and smudges of paint here and there on every page.
4. Explore your creative side during this step. This last step is all about embellishing each page of the book, adding embellishments to the front cover and embellishing the back cover. Layer the handmade envelopes first, add rubber stamped images, add altered tags, and add used postage and then add the bulky embellishments last (like brads, buttons, eyelets, etc.). Use the sharpies to add interesting text, quotations and journal entries.

Tips & Warnings

• Add text using glitter gel pens to add some extra sparkle and sheen to the pages.
• Use other altered book techniques, such as niches and windows, using punches and craft knives.
• Paint the cereal box sides black and use them to reinforce the binding of the book’s cover and interior pages.
• Use photo corners and add photography to the pages of this altered book.
• Add mementos, letters, journal entries and other flat objects to the handmade envelopes.
• Be sure the pages are completely dry before adding additional media to them.
• Because you’re working on a glossy surface, be sure to continuously smooth out bubbles when adding the first couple of layers of paper to the catalog’s pages.
• If you can’t think of a theme for the book, make it anyway! Don’t let that stifle your creativity!