ALTERED BOOK....3D CHRISTMAS

Great Recycling Project!!

Do you remember making Christmas Trees out of Readers Digest publications, where you fold each page into itself twice then fold the bottom flap up? Well, here is a great twist on that craft, using a hardback book. Do NOT remove the hardback book cover, it is part of the project, the pages will remain attached to the book cover.
I took the hardback book, (with maybe 185 to 200 pages) and folded each page that same way (as mentioned above). Books with more pages than that will be too many and you will end up ripping pages out.   I then spray painted the inside flaps and the Christmas tree 'Hunter Green' and spray painted the entire outside cover with Matte Black. You can use a gold metallic marker to write anything you like on the outside cover. I wrote 'Merry Christmas'.

As you can see, it is only half a tree, still attached to the book cover.

Side view

Using gold metallic marker, write anything you like.

After folding and spray painting I waited for it to dry thoroughly, maybe 1 hour. I then took some Christmas scrapbooking papers, cut them to size and glued them down to the inside flaps using white glue. Then came the fun part! The embellishments!! You are only limited by your imagination...I recycled old Christmas cards by cutting out and using the graphics and the inside greeting, but you can use die cuts, photos, anything your heart desires!! Photographs would work perfect!! You may decorate the tree by gluing Christmas trinkets all over it. I used low-melt hot glue.This is a simple and wonderful craft you and your kids can make together. I think grandparents would love a gift like this from their grandkids especially if there are some photographs involved!!