How to Make an Open Book Plaque

If you've ever shopped for an open book plaque in the store, you know they can be quite expensive. This is a way to make your own for only a fraction of the cost. It will also be much more personal. Open book plaques make excellent wedding, anniversary and Mother's Day gifts. Once you give one away, everyone you know will want one.

Things You'll Need

• Old hardbound book
• Picture
• Saying or quote
• White glue
• Paint brushes
• Vinyl gloves
• Wood primer
• Beige acrylic paint
• Gold shimmer or metallic paint
• Polyurethane
• Gold ribbon

Instructions

1. Find an old hardbound book at a yard sale or thrift store that you don't want to read. Get a copy or make a copy of your favorite poem or saying, depending on what you are making the book for. If it's for your mom on Mother's day than write her a poem. Use a fancy font on your computer and print it out. Rip the paper around the saying and paint the edges with a shiny gold paint. Or you can get your saying from a magazine or another book. Find the picture that you want to use. If you're using a real photo, scan it into your computer and print it out on paper and do the same as you did with the saying. If you can't scan, use a picture or artwork from a magazine or book or draw a picture yourself.

2. Take your paintbrush and dip it in some water and dampen the pages a bit. You don't have to hit every page, just go through it at random. Open the book to the center. Now start brushing on the glue. Start at the back and go between some pages every so often. Push the pages in a little to lift the center and brush more glue on the edges. Curl the ends of the corners up and brush on more glue. You will have to work with this for a while, curling and brushing, to get the ends to stay up. Glue all the way around the pages once you get it to look the way you want it. Let the book dry overnight.

3. Brush on a coat of wood primer and let it dry according to the directions. It won't take as long to dry on the book as it does on wood. Paint the pages with your beige acrylic paint. Make sure you get in between the pages that you curled up. You will probably need two coats. Paint the edges with the shiny gold paint. This will really make it look like an good old book. Let the paint dry for a few hours.

4. Glue your saying on one side and your picture on the other. Let the glue dry well. Paint the entire book with your polyurethane and let dry. Cut a piece of ribbon about 2 or 3 inches longer than the book. Fray the ends a little and glue into the center, allowing it to hang over the book. Now place the book in a book easel to display and you're done.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to cover your work area, this project can be messy.