Long before repurposing was trendy, Ruth was always drawn to adding bits and baubles from broken or forgotten treasures. Growing up we were reminded to waste not, want not. Perhaps this piece is a perfect example of that phrase. Search around a bit in your creative space and create an amazing piece of art from your recycled treasures.
book text scraps
buckle
buttons
container
cover of old book
fiberfill
foam brush
gesso
heavy gel medium
image of bird printed on fabric
instant coffe granules
lined paper
muslin
needle
paintbrush
paper towel
perle cotton thread
scissors
wax paper
white glue
white velvet ribbon
In a small container mix 1 teaspoon of water and 2 teaspoon of white glue (you want the mixture to resemble milk in consistency).
Cut one 3" × 5" (8cm × 13cm) piece of muslin. Place the muslin on wax paper. With a foam brush, cover the fabric entirely with the glue mixture.
Tear a piece of lined notebook paper or school paper. Place the paper on the glue layer of the fabric and rub to adhere. Let it dry.
Once the paper is dry, brush gesso randomly on the surface of the paper and allow to dry.
Fill a plastic container with 1⁄2 of a cup of water and 1 tablespoon of instant coffee. Mix until all coffee is dissolved. Brush some of the coffee on the paper.
Dip a piece of white velvet ribbon into the coffee stain. Remove it and place it on a paper towel to dry. While it’s wet, sprinkle a few flecks of instant coffee granules on the ribbon.
Iron muslin onto freezer paper. Once cool, print your image on the fabric. Place the printed fabric on the coffee stained paper.
With a needle and thread or a sewing machine, sew the image to the fabric and paper background.
Brush heavy gel medium on the back of the fabric and attach it to the book cover.
Cut five 1" × 4" (3cm × 10cm) pieces of fabric and five pieces of paper in the same size. Fold the pieces of paper accordion-style. Set aside.
Thread perle cotton thread onto a needle, knotting the end and leaving a 2" (5cm) tail at the eye. Stitch with a running stitch through 1" (3cm) of the fabric. Add a few buttons or a bead onto the thread, and stitch through another inch of the fabric. Stitch through the folded paper and continue in this manner until your garland is complete. End with a knot.
Place heavy gel medium on the bottom half of the book cover, press the garland into the gel medium and let dry.
Sew on buttons and add decorative stitches to the dyed ribbon.
Place the ribbon through the buckle and adhere to the top of the book cover with heavy gel medium. Wrap the ribbon ends around the cover or trim excess.
If you do not have an old book on hand, painted cardboard or cardstock is a perfect substitute.