BOOK IT: ALTERED BOOKS
A
Fig A: A pocket page. This spread is folded, aged and
embellished with distress ink, fixed together with
brads, and stuffed with stamped shipping labels.
These basic techniques can be used as building
blocks for much more ambitious alterations.
3. Join the pages. 1. Print the image.
Insert decorative brads into the holes and open the Print the image on hard-stock paper, or print on a
clasps behind the back page, joining the pages in a standard sheet of copy paper and then glue to a
closed pocket. page with a heavier weight.
4. Embellish the pocket. 2. Cut the image.
Using a sponge brush to apply Distress Ink on all the Cut out the image, leaving a clearance of 1" or 2"
pages in the spread quickly creates a nice aged or on the bottom and sides for added support (as
weathered effect, though the possibilities for further marked with a solid red line in Figure B). Cut the
embellishing this pocket are wide open. upper half of the image (the part that will extend
After finishing this pocket, I stamped a couple of above the top of the book when the pop-up is
shipping tags to stuff inside, though you can leave it open) directly on its edge.
empty or fill it with whatever you choose. I thought
the Mona Lisa fit quite well with the Italian art and 3. Fold in half.
pop culture posters featured throughout the book. Fold the image in half vertically (the dotted blue line)
and keep it folded for the next fold.
Pop-Up Mechanism
With a pop-up mechanism, the act of opening pages 4. Fold down the top.
can trigger an engaging response for the reader. Fold the top of the image down (the dotted green
Find an image that works with your theme. Dover line) at a 45-degree angle to the first fold (the dot-Publications ( doverpublications.com) sells books ted blue line). Reinforce the fold by creasing it in the
and CDs of royalty-free art from the public domain, other direction. Then, open the image to see all of it.
which work well for personal projects you intend to
display or sell without seeking additional permission 5. Fold vertically.
for copyrighted images. Fold the image vertically again (the other direction on
