I love the look of distressed books and monochromatic books in home decor. It is an inexpensive way to decorate and to add texture to a room. I went through a model home recently with an entire bookshelf of books with the covers ripped off so all the books were a pale, cream shade and it looked fantastic.
In my own home though, I can’t bear to ruin a book. I physically can not bring myself to ripping up a book- even if it is just the cover. It doesn’t matter what the book is you guys, it pains me to tear a book. Here is a super simple solution to get the same monochromatic and muted color scheme without damaging the book.
This is super cheap and takes just a few minutes to do.
So here we go!
I stopped at the craft store and picked up some very inexpensive muslin fabric- I had enough to cover 3 books and paid about $2 total. When you are choosing your fabric, look for something thick enough to cover the book so the cover of the book doesn’t show through but thin enough to be flexible and lightweight. I used a cream color fabric but any style or color would be fantastic. Vintage fabrics would be so pretty or navy or black or the same cream with painted gold spines.
Next grab whatever glue you have on hand- I used hot glue but spray glue would work or possibly even mod podge as well.
Trim the fabric to fit your book- this will vary depending on the books you choose but you want maybe an inch on the top and bottom and maybe 3 inches on each side. I prefer to have less fabric as I want the corners and edges nice and crisp and clean. Too much fabric will bunch up and look messy.
And next comes the easy part- you just want to wrap the book like a present. I start with one flap and place a small amount of hot glue to secure the fabric to the side. Next I start to close the book and dab a little hot glue on the other side and pulling the fabric taught, glue it in place.
Cut slits in the fabric where the spine is (pictured below) and secure the top to the top of the book and bottom of the book in the same way you glued the sides. I like to trim the fabric a little (as pictured above) on the inside to get the nice smooth finish.
The little slits from the spine of the book are the last piece to address. You still want to cover the spine so using a knife, gently create a space between the binding of the book and the book cover and gently wedge the excess fabric in. I didn’t need additional glue but I did trim off a few random threads.
And that is it! All finished. I think these look fantastic and Nancy Drew is ready and waiting whenever the kids want to pick it up again.
Here are a few other super simple DIY projects you might also like:
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