Make a Vintage Book Banner for the Holidays

Turn old books into a timeless holiday banner that showcases your favorite seasonal phrase.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

Related To:

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