Book Covers

You can't go wrong with Steinbeck

When I was younger, we used cover our school books with paper bags to protect them. Now, I do it just to make them look pretty! I simply haaaad to do something crafty with these books since my husband brings them home (FREE) from the library. Did I mention they're free? Now, if he could score a free bookcase to put them in, I'd be as happy as a hippo in water.

These books all tell a story, and I don't just mean the ones on the pages. Seriously, old books reek of history and the people who have given them away, received them as gifts, curled up on couches reading them and ultimately, passed them along. I even opened a book that had a written inscription on the front.

Now, these guys sit on whatever table we can manage to fit them on. Notice how neat these stacks are? I failed to take a picture of our overflowing and cluttered dining room table simply because I don't want to appear like a hoarder. 

A well-read plant is a happy one

These have yet to get 'dressed'

If you'd like to fashion up your books, here's what you'll need:

• Craft paper (you'll find this in the scrap booking section of Michael's)
• Paper bags (this will cover entire book)
• Labels
• Alphabet stamps

So here's what I did:

I wrapped the books using paper bags and tape, 'old school' style.

Then, take your pretty craft paper and cover the binding and half of the front and back covers. After doing this, stick it on with double-stick tape and voila! 

To finish them off, I whipped out my huge bundle of labels (which I got from Amazon at an AMAZING price, seriously way cheaper than any store). 

I then stamped on the title, and double-stick taped it to the front of each book. 

As a minor detail, I cut the side of the labels with those scissors that give a zig-zag design and I was done. 

Sound easy? It was! However, more time consuming than I'd like to admit, especially with two bundles of joy tearing apart my house!