January 11, 2011

Make it :: Tattered books

I don't think I ever shared with you a little project that I did.  It was awhile ago and it all started with these books from The Willows (one of my favorite local stores).  I saw these books scattered in a tray in one of their vignettes, I loved.  The books didn't appear to be for sale and I figured it would be a very easy DIY. 

Crummy picture quality, my camera phone.

So then I made these, probably last September.


And then yesterday I was flipping through a Ballard Designs catalog and saw these


Hah.  No way would I have paid this for these books.  It was as simple as heading to your local thrift store and picking up some paperbacks for some change.  Now I did spent a lot of time ripping out the books from the covers (usually page by page) and picking off any glue that stuck to the pages but they've come in so handy when my table just needs something.  I tied mine with regular twine but jute twine would look great also.  My mom suggested getting the edges wet so they would be a little more distressed which maybe one of these days I'll get around too because her ideas are usually good ones. 

4 comments:

Janet Ellis said...

Sarah, I love The Willows! My girlfriend Terry sells some of her mixed media art there. My tables definitely need a "little something" but with two one year old rambunctious cocker spaniels, all I've thought of are almost indestructible Nambé bowls :-)They make a heck of a racket that startles them when they make contact :-) Beautiful books by the way...and the cockers would be happy to help out with that distressed look your wanting. :-) ~ Blessings, Janet

Amy said...

This is a really cute idea! Next time I go to recycle old books I've read and don't want anymore I might have to give this a go!

Michelle {lovely little things} said...

Clever idea!

Rosanne said...

I did the same thing after seeing them at The Willows. I think they do sell them for $10.00 each, which isn't bad, but when you can make them yourself you can spend more money at The Willows on other things you can't make! I see that as a win-win.