Altered Book Techniques: Stitching, Creating a Niche

Projects designed and demonstrated by Cherryl Greene.

All About

Product Ideas

Stitching

Materials and Tools:

hardcover book to be recycled
ruler
needle tool (or push pin/tack)
1/2" cork board (or mouse pad, phone book)
Kreinik gold metallic thread
needle (w/small eye for seed beads)
seed beads
removable tape
decorative paper
glue stick
Lumiere by Jacquard purple, olive, gold metallic acrylic paints

Steps:

1. Decide how many pages you will be 'stitching' together. We used about 70 pages.

2. Paint the first and last page. We painted the first page purple and gold; the last page was painted olive green. Let dry.

3. Place cork board behind the last page to be stitched. Measure and punch holes for the needle to pass through on three open sides of the book. Our ruler had pre-marked holes at 1/2-inch intervals.

4. Start with thread about four times the length of the three open sides of the book to be sewn. Thread needle with double thread. Start stitching from back page through to front page in first hole at the top of the spine of the book.

5. Pull thread through, leaving about a 3-inch tail. Secure thread with removable tape.

6. Pick up one seed bead onto needle. Slide down thread to top edge of book. Sew into second hole from front of book to back. Pick up another seed bead onto the needle and continue stitching in this manner around all three sides of the book.

7. We ran out of thread before we finished stitching the third side. If this happens to you, use removable tape to secure the tail of the thread and start with another piece of doubled metallic thread. Secure a 3-inch tail of this thread at the same place where the first thread ended. Continue stitching/beading to the end.

8. Tie off this end of thread. Add beads to hang down outside the book if desired.

9. Replace the removable tape with pieces of decorative paper glued over the tails to secure the threads. Decorate your pages to coordinate with your paint, thread and beads.

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Resources

Products
- Fiber Friend Ruler, needle tool and 1/2 cork board from Timeless Touches
- Gold metallic thread from Kreinik Mfg. Co. Inc
- Lumiere by Jacquard metallic paints from Rupert, Gibbon & Spider
- Gel medium from Golden Artist Colors Inc.