How To Texture A Wooden Letter Using Rolled Up Book Pages

As promised in my last post, I'd like to share the tutorial of how I textured a wooden letter "M" using the pages of a book, as seen on my newly revamped bedroom bookcase.

As much as I'd like to take credit for coming up with this brilliant and creative idea, I was actually inspired to do this project by Katie over at Little Things Bring Smiles.   I've had her tutorial of this very project on my side bar for months now because I love it so much.  Check out her blog for many other great ideas.  I followed her tutorial pretty closely, only changing a few things to better suit my preference.  I'll be sharing my slightly different way of doing the same project with you today.

How to Texture a Wooden Letter Using Rolled Up Book Pages:

You will need the following items:

1- The  letter or letters of your choice.  I chose the letter M because it is the first letter of our last name. The letters can be purchased at most craft stores.  Mine was purchased at A.C. Moore.

2-A chapter book with no pictures that  you no longer want (Be sure the pages of the book are the color you wish to use on your letter.  If you do not own such a book, a thrift store is a great place to find one.)

3. Scissors

4. Hot glue gun and glue refills


Instructions:

1-  After collecting all the necessary items,  be sure to connect your hot glue gun so that it will be ready to go.

2.  Begin by tearing the pages out of the book you'll be using.  Just to give you an idea of how many pages you'll need, I used about 60 pages for me letter.

3.  After all the pages are torn out, use the scissors to cut the margins off the pages, leaving only the text.

4. Cut a handful of the pages in half (for the narrower parts of the letter) and leave the rest as full sized sheets.

5. Begin rolling up the sheets of paper.  I rolled mine up tightly because I preferred the look of many small rolls of paper as opposed to fewer large rolls, but this is completely up to you.  When you near the end of the roll, leave a 1/2 inch overhang and apply hot glue to the inner edge and then finish rolling up the paper,

6. Using the roll of paper I'd already made, I roughly calculated how many rolls I would need and I made a
handful of paper rolls before I began applying any of them to the letter.  I just felt the project would move quicker this way. When you've made a good bundle of paper rolls, choose whether you will cover the letter from top to bottom or from bottom to top, (I did it from bottom to top) and place the first roll at your starting point.

7.  Using the letter as a guideline, cut the roll of paper to match the exact width of the area you are covering.
(In the picture below I am simply demonstrating how to cut the roll of paper to size so it's not placed at my starting point)

8.  Glue the roll of paper to the letter. Because mine was a symmetrical letter and I wanted both sides to match, I alternated sides, gluing a roll of paper on one side, then the other and so on.

9.  Repeat steps 6-7 with each roll of paper you already have.  I glued the rolls of paper together tightly because I liked the way it looked that way.  Again, a matter  of preference.

10.  When you run out of the rolls of paper you've made, begin making more, repeating all above steps until the letter is covered. For the symmetrical letters, be sure the rolls of paper on both sides of the letter match up.

Got any questions?  Feel free to ask.  I'd love to help in any way I can.  Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make this felt wreath.

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Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

The truth is, we all do it.  We take one look at something or someone and form an opinion, be it negative or positive, based solely on what we see.  Although used by all, this method of selection is quite flawed, and because of it many have overlooked treasures of incalculable worth. Like gold nuggets in the mud,  beauty is often hidden beneath a cloak of unsightliness.  It happened to me when I approached a dirty sunburned homeless man, expecting slurred speech and irrational thoughts.  To my surprise,  I found a soft-spoken and articulate intellectual.  It happened to me when I pulled into the littered and unkempt parking lot of a dingy shack, displaying a faded crooked sign that read “Ant qu s”.   I almost left, but opted to stay, expecting to find a rusty foul-smelling collection of junk.  Instead, I found an orderly display of priceless heirlooms.  Take my torn and tattered collection of old books, for example.  At first glance and to the untrained eye, they appear to be of no worth at all.  The pages are yellow, the bindings and covers torn and creased, but it’s in the skillfully worded sentences and paragraphs that their true value lies; stories so beautifully told you can almost taste, smell, and see every detail.  Although space is limited in our home, the books are simply too precious for us to discard. As you can see in the picture below, some of them are in very poor condition. All six of these books I've kept since my childhood and I cannot express what a thrill it has been for me to read them aloud to my own children. 

Because these books are so near and dear to my heart,  I did not want to stash them away somewhere or hide them behind cabinet doors.   I wanted to display them in a way that would reflect their importance and also our family's passion and love for reading.  The bookcase we chose to tackle first was the one in our bedroom, since that is the room we've been working on completing for a while now.  This bookcase has all the children's chapter books,  my husbands resource/study books, and the majority of my books.  Here is the bookcase as it looked before we began our makeover. (all the picture books were moved to the kids' room) If you have not already done so, I’d like to invite you to read a previous post, “Confessions of a Bookworm”, so you can better understand the following project. 

After looking at countless inspiration pictures of artfully displayed books and tastefully arranged bookcases, we were pretty sure we knew what we wanted.  Here are two of the images that most inspired me. Source: Southern Living

We began our bookcase makeover by removing all the books and knickknacks, focusing our attention on the bookcase itself. (Actually two bookcases joined to become one)  These Ikea bookcases were handed down to me by my sister (check out her blog The Pear Tree Cottage here).  They were taken apart and stored in my  garage in Texas for a while before we moved, then transported 1,600 miles to New Jersey in a tightly packed Uhaul truck. They were in serious need of some TLC.

The particle board backing, which was suppose to be nailed with small nails to the middle shelf, had been nailed so many times it would no longer hold up.  Not only did it not hold up, but the numerous attempts to nail it had left unsightly holes.

We gave up on the nails altogether, aligned the boards, and used a staple gun to secure the backing instead.  After the backing was secured we used caulk to cover the holes left behind by the numerous nailing attempts.

Once the backing was secured and the holes sealed,  we were ready to choose a paint color for the inside/back of the bookcase.  A sandy tan that would match our bedding and pillows was what we had in mind.  We purchased a paint sample at Home Depot (the lighter color in the pic below) and painted a few strokes on the bookcase, along with the color we used in our kitchen, to see which one we felt would look the best.  The lighter color was unanimously voted upon.

Once we were finished with the bookcase itself, we were able to move on to the books. As I mentioned in this post, one of the things we wanted to change was how colorful and busy the bookcase looked. In our bedroom, we are going for what I call a cool and crisp look. Simple, clean, and bright.  It was clear to us that the rainbow effect created by the colorful book bindings was making it impossible for us to achieve this overall look.  Add to that the less than appealing appearance of some of the books and we had a real challenge on our hands.

After much discussion and deliberation, a rather unorthodox solution was decided upon.  We would cover all the books, making our own book covers with white paper and printing the titles on the binding.

Although I immediately got giddy with excitement at the thought of how amazing the bookcase would look, the task of covering each book was rather daunting.  I decided not to ponder too much the amount of work and time the project would take, knowing that if I did, I might be too intimidated to begin. I just jumped right into the chaos and I have not regretted it. (I'll soon be sharing a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how I completed this project)

After the books were covered, we were able to move on to the fun part, collecting and arranging the accent pieces that would be displayed along with the books.  This being our bedroom, we wanted a few pieces that would tell a story about our relationship and our family.   I also wanted to include a few DIY crafts I'd worked on to give the bookcase that personalized and unique feel.  Due to our restricted budget, the majority of the items were purchased secondhand at a nearby thrift store. So, without further ado, before and after pics of our new and improve bookcase!

The "too busy and too colorful" BEFORE

The "cool, crisp, clean, simple, and bright" AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

You may notice that the books are not very evenly distributed, that the bottom shelves have more books than the top shelves.  The thing is, I like the way the shelves look when they are not overly crowded with books, but we have a lot of books  Due to the layout of our room, the bottom shelves can only be seen if you stand right in front of the window, so I decided early on that I wanted the bulk of the books to go on the bottom shelves.

Now for a quick shelf by shelf breakdown.  

Top two shelves on the left:  Plant pot Valentine's Day gift from hubby purchased at HomeGoods,  House plant HomeDepot $3.99, Picture frame IkeaVirserum Frame $2.99, Picture inside the frame post card of Cancun, Mexico from our honeymoon,  Woven tray thrift store find $1.41,  Wooden number 14 commemorating the day we became boyfriend and girlfriend March 14, 1996 read our love story here -craft store purchase $.49 each.

 Top two shelves on the right:  Felt wreath made by me- tutorial to come soon $10, Wooden chair JoAnn's $7.99, Wooden "Shaker Seed Co." sign thrift store $.99, Glass bottle thrift store $.69, Candles  Ikea Jubla candles left over from previous project,  Tin bucket Target $.99.

 Third shelf on the right:  Glass Bottle thrift store $1.41, Candle gift, Wooden tray thrift store $1.61

Third shelf on the left:  Lantern garage sale 1.50, Book bracket thrift store $.99,  Basket weave coaster gift

 Forth self on the right side:  Letter M craft store $1.99 with added texture by me tutorial soon to come,  Picture frame Ribba from Ikea $19.99, Print inside frame printed on our computer, MapQuest map with highlighted path from Houston (where my hubby lived while we were dating) to Fort Worth (where I lived). We had a long distance relationship and this 4 hour trip was much traveled by the two of us, Plant and Pot Ikea $5, Crystal candle holder wedding gift, Candle already owned.

Fifth shelf on the right:  Round frame with real pressed flowers thrift store already owned for many years.

Fourth Shelf on the left:  Tray with number 3 for our three children tray purchased at thrift store and then transformed by me, tutorial to come soon tray $1.61 number $1.99 paint, $2.94, Shell  from this trip down the shore on Mother's Day.

 Fifth shelf on left side:  Tin Pail thrift store $.99, Ivy Plants HomeDepot $4 for both

Bottom Shelf on both sides: Wooden box containing a few of our love letters, thrift store $.99 design painted by me, Letter "O" not pictured HomeGoods $3.99

Overview of Complete Bookcase Transformation Costs:
Accent Pieces- $79.03
Bookcovers - free (used paper that was given to us)
Paint sample used to paint bookcase backing: $2.94
Paint sample used to paint tray and numbers: $2.94
_______________________________________________
Total Spent:  $84.91  (Jump for Joy!)


You might have also noticed that we hung a framed chalkboard on the column next to the bookcase.  This is something I've dreamt of having in our bedroom for a long time; a place where my honey and I can leave each other notes of love and encouragement. What woman would not want to wake up to this sweet note from her man? (made using this old mirror and chalkboard paint)

 One last look for your viewing pleasure.

If you like the covered books and wish to tackle this kind of project in your own home, I've written up a very detailed step-by-step tutorial on how I accomplished this tedious and time consuming, yet exceedingly rewarding task.  Check out that tutorial HERE.

Interested in knowing how to texture a wooden letter with rolled up book pages, like the letter "M" below?  Check out a detailed tutorial HERE.

Want to know how this tray went from looking like this:

to looking like this?

Tutorial Coming Soon

And lastly, would you like to know how I used these materials...

to make this wreath?

I'll be sharing this tutorial soon.  If you'd like to be notified immediately when I post, simply scroll on over to the side bar and follow this blog.  I'd be honored to have you.

I'll leave you now with this quote by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and many other amazing children's books)

 "Please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall."    -Roald Dahl

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A Love Story On Display

I remember the evening of March 14, 1996 well.  I was fourteen and in love.  It was a warm night, and although there were many people walking past, I felt that it was just him and I in all the world. We were strolling together (a few feet away from our friends and family) down the crowded "streets" of Six Flags, after having spent an unforgettable day together.  His silly jokes and polite manner made every moment with him special, and the way he stared into my eyes sent my heart into an accelerated frenzy.  He said there was something he wanted to ask me.  He was nervous as he tried to get the words out and then quickly blurted, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"  My timid response? "Are you sure?" I couldn't believe this cute boy with the kind hazel eyes actually liked me!  When he assured me that he was indeed serious, I immediately consented.  The following day he spoke with my father, a brave and admirable feat for a boy of seventeen, and requested his permission to "get to know his daughter."  My father patiently waited till he finished his "she's very special and I have feelings for her" speech, before informing him that at fourteen his daughter was not ready to have a boyfriend, adding that if  he was still interested in pursuing a relationship with her when she turned fifteen, he would give his consent at that time.  Being the reasonable man that he is though,  my father did say he'd allow us to correspond with one another and even agreed to a phone call now and then.  What softened his heart was seeing what a special young man this was. The fact that he lived 4 hours away also helped to set his mind at ease.  Surely, if the young man was not serious about his feelings, this childhood romance would never survive a long distance friendship and a one year trial period.  

What a thrill it was for me to receive his letters.  I'd make a mad-dash for the mailbox every day after school.  I also enjoyed writing him,  painstakingly rereading each sentence to be sure that it was perfectly worded.  I'd write many rough copies before carefully penning the final draft.  We wrote each other dozens of letters.  He'd usually call on Saturday nights, at first twice a month and then weekly.  I'd wait by the phone for his call.  Our phone conversations went from 20 minutes long to 2 hours long, and at times, unbeknownst to my parents, 5 hours long.  We simply never ran out of things to talk about, covering every imaginable topic.  Oh, how he could make me laugh!  No matter what mood I was in when our conversation began, he'd have me laughing by the end of it.  Gradually our letters and our conversations became more and more affectionate. He began to make surprise visits up to see me and a few times even came by to pick me up after school (with my little brother, the appointed chaperone, at his side). Three months after our Six Flags outing, during one of his visits, as we stood together on the front porch saying goodbye, he whispered,  "I love you." By the time my 15th birthday rolled around he'd become a part of our family and my parents were as in love with him as I was.  When I reminded my father of his stipulation 1 yr. prior, he seemed to have forgotten all about it.   In May of 1998,  when I was 16 yrs old, he took me (and our chaperone) to the Houston Galleria, a cherished spot for both of us.  There, with swarms of people walking by, he knelt down on one knee and holding out a red, heart shaped velvet ring box said to me, "I want you to be my wife."  I cried, and could only nod my head yes, as he stood and hugged me tight.  We were two children so deeply in love, not knowing what life had in store for us, but knowing without a doubt that we wanted to be together always.  On June 25, 2000, one month after I graduated from high school, we were married. 

It's been 15 years since that warm summer evening in March. The awkwardly spoken words of two timid teenagers marks the beginning of a beautiful relationship, that defying all odds, has stood the test of time. 

This is a picture of us, the hazel-eyed boy and me, at my Quinceañera celebration (a coming out party celebrated in the Latin American culture when a young lady turns 15).

I wanted to share our story with you so that you could better appreciate how meaningful the following collection of frames is to us. 

Before I go into further detail about what we carefully chose to place in each frame, I'd like to give a few guided instructions on how we arranged and hung this gallery for those of you who might be interested in displaying a similar arrangement in your own home.

My arrangement inspiration came from this collection of frames found above Sherry and John Petersik's console table, as seen on their amazing site Young House Love.  (This is actually the entryway of their previous home.) I visit this site first thing when I sit at my computer every day.  I love it!

As Sherry cleverly classifies it in this video (which I recommend if your looking for inspiration and guidance in hanging your own frames), this arrangement is symmetrical with a twist.  We wanted a relaxed yet formal look; structured fun is what I call it.  There are many great tutorials out there on how to hang a collection of frames, and after doing a little research, I felt confident enough to tackle the project, taking bits and pieces of what I'd read and doing a little improvising along the way.  (please excuse the fuzzy and ill-lit pictures)


1. The first thing I did was lay the frames out to be sure I liked the way the arrangement looked and to determine exact placing.  Although I already had a very defined idea of the placement in my head and had lay the frames out on the floor of the store aisle before purchasing them (yes, I'm  "the weird, crazy lady with the poor, embarrassed husband by her side"), I wanted to be sure I was satisfied with the way the arrangement was going to look.  When you lay the frames out,  decide on the spacing width you'd like to use between each frame.  (For those of you who are as forgetful as I, write the space measurement down for future reference.)

 
2.  I then numbered each frame, writing the number in pencil on the back.  I did this after noticing that the frames, even the matching ones,  had the hardware spaced differently on the back.

3.  Next,  I cut sheets of paper to match the size of each picture frame (taping two sheets together for larger frames) and wrote the number on the paper that corresponded with the matching frame.

4. I lay each paper over the back of each corresponding frame and marked the location of the hardware, making a pencil mark exactly where each nail would need to be placed.

5.  After I had every sheet of paper labeled and marked, I was ready to begin measuring and placing the sheets of paper on the wall.  These are the supplies I used for the next few steps.

It is important to first determine if you are going to center the arrangement over a focal point in the room or with the wall itself.  Due to the ridiculous unique placement of our air conditioning unit,  I struggled a little with the placement.

Being the perfectionist that I am, it bothered me to no end that, because of the air conditioner,  the arrangement would appear unbalanced.  I eventually decided to ignore the air conditioner all together, knowing that whatever we decided to put on that wall would be adversely affected by it's placement. I simply moved the bed and nightstands as far to the right as I could and centered the arrangement above the bed.  Because I had a limited amount of space on the left due to the air conditioner, I had to make the space between each frame a lot smaller than I originally intended.

6.  Once you've decided how your going to center the arrangement,  measure and place the sheet of paper for the the large middle frame first, being sure to put the marked side of the sheet forward-facing.  Be sure to use painters tape to keep from damaging the paint on your wall.  Use the level along the top edge of the paper to ensure that it is straight.  When the placement is just right, apply pressure to the tape to secure the sheet of paper to the wall.  You don't want the paper moving out of place as you begin measuring and placing the other sheets.   Once the sheet of paper for the large middle frame has been taped to the wall, use a ruler to find the middle of the frame, measuring vertically, and work your way out from there.  Remember to use the level to keep the papers straight.   

(Instead of writing a wordy explanation, I hope this picture will help you understand the quickest and most accurate way to measure out and place the sheets of paper.  I spaced my frames 3/4in apart due to space constraints caused by the placement of our air conditioner. )

7.  After you've taped all the sheets of paper on the wall,  hammer the nails through the previously made pencil markings.

8.  When you've nailed all the nails,  rip off each sheet and hang the corresponding frame in it's place.  I highly recommend you do one at a time (remove the sheet of paper and place the corresponding frame) so you will not lose track of which frame goes where.

This is what it looked like when I finished.

Once we had the frames hung, we began discussing what we wanted each frame to display.  Because it is our bedroom, we both wanted this collection to be about our relationship, our family, and the love we have for one another.  My sweet hubby created the print found in the large middle frame, "The Martinez Family, Established 2000".

In each of the four small frames to the immediate left and right of the large frame, we put a time stamped envelope from our days of courtship.  The envelopes still hold inside of them precious love letters we wrote to one another.

In the medium sized frame on the far left, we put a letter my husband wrote to me. Notice the paper is still creased from being folded inside an envelope and stored for so many years.

In the medium sized frame on the far right, we put a crossword puzzle that I made years ago for my hubby to solve (back when we were teenagers with lots of free time on our hands :)

Here are few pictures of the completed project, taken from different angles.

And that concludes the long-winded story of the frame arrangement above our bed. 

 
Please see the  "Party!" tab beneath the header for links to the parties I've joined. Check them out to see inspiring transformations, renovations, crafts, and more.