In the spirit of recycling used and unwanted items, here is a tutorial on how to make a paper wreath from book pages.
Now, I understand that you may not wish to destroy a book for a Christmas decoration. But if a book won’t ever be used again, if it’s going to sit in the attic or basement for the next twenty years and then be thrown out, then it might be a possibility.
This wreath takes quite a lot of work and is meant to last for some years, so that book may live on for a lot longer than it would have in its previous form.
The words of the book are clearly visible in the finished wreath. Beautiful words would add to the charm of the wreath and would draw your guests’ attention.
On one hand, I wouldn’t want to see a science textbook forming the wreath, but on the other hand, if you and your family are keen science fans, you might love it!
This project is not for kids, although teenagers should be fine with it. There is a lot of hot glue gun use. Some precision is required to get the desired effect, but it is completely achievable with patience.
If you’d like to have a look, please see below….
The book used in the tutorial is a smaller book, maybe the size of a Reader’s Digest. For that size book, the board needs to be cut to 16.5 inches by 12 inches. While you’re cutting it is also recommended that the corners on one side are cut off. The number of pages required is 120.
You’ll Need
- Book
- Hot glue gun
- Razor blade
- Stapler
- Foam core board
- Compass
- Tape
- Sharpie pen
- Bling decoration for the center of the wreath
Step-By-Step Instructions
Removing The pages
- Cut the binding or thread with the razor blade to allow easier access to the pages.
- Cut the pages as close to the spine as possible.
Slim And Trim
- Split each group of pages into smaller sections.
- Cut off the rough edge of the pages.
Creating The Cones
- Take a single page.
- Pick up a corner and roll it on the long side towards yourself.
- Then pick up the diagonally opposite corner and wrap it around.
- You should have a cone shape.
- Put a piece of tape on the lower part of the cone to secure it. It needs to be on the lower section so it won’t show later.
- Repeat, many times.
Stapling The Cones
- Take a cone and place it so that the longer side is on the bottom.
- Hold the lower section flat.
- Staple it about an inch from the bottom.
Creating The Backboard
- On the foam core board, put a dot in the middle.
- Using the compass, make an 8-inch circle.
- Using the compass, make a 4-inch circle inside the 8-inch circle.
- Mark the 8-inch circle at 3 O’clock, 6 O’clock, 9 O’clock, and noon.
Gluing Down The Cones
- If you haven’t cut your board to size, do it now.
- Glue a cone on the 8-inch circle, ensuring the staple is on the line.
- Place a cone on each of the clock marks you made and then fill in the gaps.
- Repeat until there are cones in one layer all around the 8-inch circle. Ensure you can’t see any gaps between them.
- Do exactly the same thing for the 4-inch circle.
- Then add cones to the center section until you reach the center point, and can no longer see any of the foam core board.
- Glue the decorations inside the center; don’t skimp on the glue.
Now you have a glorious and unique Christmas wreath to put up every year for years to come!