Make a Vintage Book Banner for the Holidays
Turn old books into a timeless holiday banner that showcases your favorite seasonal phrase.
New Use for Old Books
Greet your guests with upcycled decor made from old books and sisal rope. You'll need: vintage books with similar heights and widths; spool of 1-inch-thick sisal rope; utility knife; decorative ribbon; large letter stencils; pen; drill; 1/4-inch drill bit; scissors.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Trace Letter Stencil
Place a large letter stencil on top of the book. Trace the shape of the letter directly to the book's cover.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Cut Out Letter
Using trace marks as a guide, cut out the letter from the book cover with a utility knife.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Cut Out Front Pages
Create small shadows to help highlight the letter by using a utility knife to remove the first 7 to 10 pages from the book.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Drill Holes Into Book Spine
Create a hole 1 inch below the top of the book spine with a drill.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Thread Ribbon
Unfurl ribbon from spool, then slowly thread it through the drilled hole. Once through, cut the ribbon to size with 8 to 12 inches of length coming out of each side, then create a knot.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Attach Link Ribbon
Use scissors to cut a separate spool of ribbon into a decorative link. Loop the link ribbon through the book ribbon, then knot it around the top of the rope. Place each book in its proper space according to the spelling of the word or phrase. Continue to attach each book with link ribbon.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
Hang and Display
Secure the banner to a handrail, banister or mantel by knotting each end of the rope tightly and display all season long.
From:
Brian Patrick Flynn
