What To Do With a Bad Book - a Craft Tutorial

I'm a total book worm at heart. So when I come across a bad book (you know, bad story lines, too many cuss words, or whatever your reasoning for not liking a book), I usually just throw it away.  Well, I found a good use for those books with less than stellar reviews.  I make them into fun Christmas decorations instead.  

So, start this project with one bad book. Its time to put this book to better use!  Take the book and divide it into about 100 pages by slicing with an matte knife right down the spine of the book.

Gather together these supplies:

FYI:  I found the glass candle stick holder at my local dollar store.
You'll also need:

• tacky glue
• scrap of golden yellow paper
• 1 rounded toothpick

STEP 1:  fold pages from spine corner (top) to the bottom corner of the page.  I use a plastic bone folder to crease the pages.  Unfold.

STEP 2:  Fold the page from spine corner to the fold you just created.  Crease.  Add glue to the underneath side of that fold and press flat toward the fold line.

STEP 3:  Add glue to the top of the last fold and press toward the spine.  Make sure the original fold is not altered.

STEP 4:  Watch a good movie or listen to Christmas music as you fold the rest of the pages using these same steps because this will take a while.

STEP 5:  Fan out the pages so they form a paper tree.  Glue the first and last page together.

STEP 6:  Turn the candle stick holder upside down.  Add epoxy glue and spread the bottom of the pages over the center of the candle stick holder.

To add more height you can stack two candle stick holders into each other, just make sure you glue the holders together with epoxy glue.  

• To add a star on top of your book tree, download this free start pattern HERE.  
• Using this pattern, cut the star out of golden or yellow paper.  
• Add tacky glue to the star.  
• Lay onto the center of the star a rounded toothpick and press the other star on top of the toothpick and the star.
• Trim stars to match one another if needed.

I hope you enjoy your "bad book" now! It's probably much better this way (at least it's a lot cuter). Happy folding!  xoxo Grandma

Happy Summer Treat Bag - a Free Printable

What's more summery than watermelon?  Print out the header for this full color Happy Summer! treat bag HERE.  Fill a baggie with treats and staple the header onto the top of the baggie. Have a great 4th of July weekend! - xoxo Grandma

Linked at:  Nap-time Creations

The Joy of Pop-up Books

When my grandchildren visit, we read a lot of books. Their favorite, of course, are my pop-up books - no surprise there! The older grandchildren loved reading about Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.  All of these books are illustrated and engineered by Robert Sabuda.  

One fun thing that my grandchildren really liked about "Alice in Wonderland" is looking through the hole that Alice fell into while following the white rabbit.  

They love "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" because of it's hot air balloon and the emerald glasses which are included in this book. 

"Peter Pan" has pirates, pixie dust and London. What child doesn't like those elements in a story?  When I read about the magic pixie dust, you should have heard the questions I got to answer... yup, pixie dust would sure be fun for a far-away grandmother to use.

All these books are a little long to read as bedtime stories (unless you're in no rush to put your kids to bed), but we had fun breaking it up and reading half of each book a few nights in a row.  

I hope you enjoy reading to your little ones - in three days I'll get to read to my grandchildren again!  Do you have a favorite book you like to read to your children or grandchildren? - xoxo Grandma

Linky parties:  Paisley Roots, Nap-Time Creations

Summer Quote Printout

Summer doesn't officially arrive until June 21st but here's a little poem you can frame and enjoy while you eagerly anticipate its arrival. You can download your copy of this summer poem HERE.  The artwork, poem and doodles are by me, aka xoxo Grandma. ENJOY!

Roses For Mother's Day

This year Mother's day is celebrating it's 100 years of being a holiday.  To celebrate in style, I've created a rose card to add to your mother's day gifts.  

To get your cards, download HERE. Then print the download in full color onto cardstock.  The last step is to cut the cards apart.  My favorite thing about getting a card is when a personal note is included.  So, don't forget to add a special note on this card  to tell your mother why she means so much to you.  It'll mean a lot to her. 

xoxo Grandma
Linked to: Make It & Love It, Diane Rambles, Pin-n-tell, Nap-time Creations

Downloadable Easter Tags - Free

First, I get to announce the winner of the child's book called, "My Far Away Grandma"  
Thanks for all those who entered!  Congratulations to Corinn Cattermole.  Please e-mail me with your address.  Remember, if you didn't win, the book can be purchased at this site.

Now onto today's creation...

Here's an Easter tag that I've created and is all you have to do is download and print in full color onto heavyweight cardstock (un-check the "fit to page" before you print).  Say it with me, "Easy, easy, easy!" 

I get to have three of my grandchildren here for Easter & am so excited!  What kind of Easter plans do you have? xoxo Grandma

"XOXO" Valentine's Day Banner

Looking for some easy decorations to put together for Valentine's Day? You don't have to be creative or artistic to create this easy yet elegant banner. If you'd like to make your own banner follow the steps below:

1. Use a font, similar to Swis721 BlkEx BT, and enlarge the letters "xoxo" to 300 points. 
2. Print using the outline version.
3. Cut out the letters and trace onto cardboard.  
4. Spray paint the letters with metallic gold.
5. Ink the letters with a clear ink pad that will allow embossing.  
6. Sprinkle the letters with gold embossing powder and heat seat it.
7. Punch holes at the top of each letter to string onto a 1/4 inch maroon, velvet ribbon (or ribbon of your choosing).
8. Cut 7" of various gold, wired ribbon to tie between each letter.

Hang your banner up and enjoy!

a little love.  xoxo Grandma

Round Wedding Banners

This was a wedding banner thank you banner I made for this special couple. I love how their card turned out!

Tiny Paper Pieced Art

These pieces of art are made from tiny pieces of scrap craft paper, junk mail and used postage stamps. Simply tear them to pieces, add some tacky glue onto a matte board and these elements become torn paper art.