This month’s project utilizes a large, thick book. In it, I cut a large niche and used a box lid to make a drawer that would fit in the niche. Here’s a step-by-step on how to do it.
Step 1: Select a large, thick, hardcover book and a flat box for creating the “drawer”. The box height should not be higher than the book is thick and the length and width of the box should be about an inch smaller all around the page block in the book. The box could be anything from a cigar box with the lid cut off, a wooden tray, or a box you’ve made yourself. Here, I used a candy box.
Step 2: Measure and mark where you’ll cut pages to fit the drawer. Leave some pages at the front of the book intact, as these will be glued down in a later step to cover the top of the drawer. From the bottom cover of the book, make marks on the long side of the book to indicate where the box will sit. Leave a little gap on either side of the box to allow for movement. Mark the height of the box as well: Turn to the page in the book just above the box height. Set the box on top of that page and mark the lines where you’ll cut to fit the box. Be sure to line them up with the marks on the side of the pages.
Step 3: Glue page block on sides using gel medium. Use waxed paper to protect back cover and pages above the block you’re gluing. Close book and weight with something heavy. Let dry completely.
Cut hole for drawer: Use rotary tool to drill a hole on each of the two inside corners of the area you marked for cutting the pages. Take care at this step, since the friction could cause the pages to smoke and/or burn. Now that you have a starting point for the craft knife, use the craft knife and ruler to slice through the pages on the lines you traced earlier. Go slowly at this step and change out your blade often. Repeat drilling the holes and cutting the pages until you have gone all the way through the page block as you intended.
Step 4: When the hole is finished, clean up any rough edges with a sander head on your rotary tool and wipe out the dust with a damp cloth.
Step 5: Use gel medium to glue the inside of the niche and glue page block to back cover. This will help stabilize your block and keep the pages together. Trim a piece of cardboard to fit over hole and glue to cut page block. Glue around the edges of remaining pages and also glue to cardboard. Cover top page with waxed paper, close book and weight with something heavy. Let everything dry overnight.
Step 6: Trim four pieces of coordinating cardstock to cover the front cover, inside front cover, first page and back cover. Use Xyron to apply adhesive to the cardstock and attach to book.
Step 7: Edge covers with scalloped tape. Use bone folder to burnish tape well.
Step 8: Texture some wide aluminum plumber’s tape using bone folder and Fiskar’s texture plate. Cover spine with textured tape.
Step 9: Paint front of drawer with layer of Napa Red paint. Let dry. Over the dried paint, layer the following ink colors: StazOn Blazing Red and then Chianti and TerraCotta pigment inks. Let dry and then stamp pattern randomly with Black StazOn ink. Set aside.
Step 10: Paint page edges with silver paint. Let dry.
Step 11: Make frame for cover: Paint a layer of Napa Red paint. Over the dried paint, layer the following ink colors: StazOn Blazing Red and then Chianti and TerraCotta pigment inks. Stamp pattern randomly with Black StazOn ink. Add one more layer of pigment ink and emboss with clear UTEE. Let cool. Make label with year and attach to black cardstock. Attach frame to black cardstock with silver brads. Secure with mini Glue Dots. Attach entire assembly to front cover with 1” Glue Lines.
Step 12: Make frame for drawer handle: Paint a layer of Napa Red paint. Over the dried paint, layer the following ink colors: StazOn Blazing Red and then Chianti and TerraCotta pigment inks. Stamp pattern randomly with Black StazOn ink. Add one more layer of pigment ink and emboss with clear UTEE. Let cool.
Trim a 2” piece of ribbon and attach to drawer with green rhinestone brads as shown. Attach prepared frame (using 1” Glue Lines) over ribbon and pull ribbon through to create a handle. Decorate the frame with tiny rhinestones by attaching with Diamond Glaze in the four corners of the frame.
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