An altered board book takes on new life with colorful beetle illustrations.
If you don’t have the time to take in all of the books and resources on this topic, then here’s a basic list of the steps you’ll need to create an altered book program for children.
Collect A Few Materials
Start a collection of unwanted books. Sources for these include used book stores, rummage sales, and second-hand stores. However, I like “free” so check your school, organization, or library’s withdrawn books or donations. Look for hardcover or board books with minimal damage. And remember, you are giving these books a second life as a piece of art!
The “stuff” you’ll need for an altered books program probably already exists in your supply closets or at home. Some altered book artists recommend specific glues, paints, and materials. My advice: kids don’t care and we’re on a budget, so use what you have. As you do altered book programs, your supply list will change, expand and reflect what’s right for you and the children and teens in your group who are creating the works of art.
A basic list includes:
- White glue and glue sticks
- Scissors
- Binder Clips and/or clothespins
- Whole punches
- Foam brushes
- Gesso or white acrylic paint
- Water-based paints (various colors)
- Crayons, oil pastels, color pencils
- Water-based markers (These are great for the stamps instead of ink pads.)
- Stamps
- Colorful yarn and ribbon
- Recycled materials
- Paper– All colors, textures, and designs (Get out those wallpaper sample books!)
- Waxed paper, aluminum foil and tissue paper can create texture when used with paint.
- Fabric can be used for the covers and smaller scraps can be incorporated into the book.
- Ephemera and Embellishments (Start a collection!)
Get Your Ephemera Ready…
Start to collect everything from ticket stubs to old programs, clothing tags to newspaper clippings. Anything made of paper that is thought to have no lasting value. Also, gather found papers like tea bag envelopes, labels, brochures, junk mail, etc. Copies of vintage photos, documents, and illustration can be found on the Internet.
Don’t Forget Those Embellishments!
Save those buttons, trinkets, puzzle pieces, coins, keys, odds and ends, and various found objects. Recycled broken bits of this and that can add interest and flair to any altered book. I like natural additions to my books like twigs, grass, pressed flowers, seed pods, and anything found in nature as long as its removal doesn’t affect the habitat.
Select the Book
Select hard cover or board books. Avoid books with damaged spines, brittle pages, and water damage. You’re going to be putting the book through a lot of stress during the altering process, so pick ones that are in relatively good shape. It’s very tempting to pick an old book with an ornate cover and yellowed pages, but ask yourself if you really want to put a lot of work into a worn-out item whose poor condition will hamper the creative process. Brittle pages will break and bindings will fall apart. Not fun. Trust me.
Book and Page Prep
If you select a board book you can either carefully remove the glossy covering on all of the pages to reveal the rough board underneath or you can sand the pages to create a rough surface. Truth be told, the sanding is messier and the tearing is a lot more fun! Either way, just don’t paint directly on the smooth surface of a board book. The paint will scrape right off.
To prepare a hardcover book start by gluing several pages together in order to have a solid and sturdy surface to create on. Then carefully tear out the next few pages. Glue a few more pages together. Then remove a few more. What you’re doing is building a structure that will accommodate the artwork and any embellishments and/or ephemera that you add to it. The general advice is to remove twice as many pages as you leave. Ultimately, you’ll also be reducing the stress on the spine.
A Few Page Techniques
A simple paint technique using a paper towel and acrylic paint. Scrunch the paper towel into a ball and dab paint directly on the page.
In addition to the traditional foam brushes, try painting with balled up paper toweling, plastic wrap, sponges or potato stamps. An adult can cut windows in the books for kids to use as hiding places in their design. (You will need a metal ruler and an X-acto knife.)
Other paint techniques can include :
- Natural or found objects used as stamps
- Resists
- Spattering
- Patterns created on wet paper with a craft stick or other object
- Torn painted paper glued onto the page in layers or patterns
- Stenciling
- Bubble prints
Three books that are excellent book for paint techniques are:
Painted Paper: Techniques & Projects for Handmade Books and Crafts by Alisa Golden
Paper Transformed: A Handbook of Surface Design and Creative Paper Projects by Julia Andrus
Paint on Paper: Over 130 Quick and Easy Techniques to Decorate Paperby Angie Franke and Monique Day-Wilde
Hmm, the Cover
The general rule of thumb is to leave the cover for last since you will be working with the book and the process actually places the cover under a great deal of wear and tear. The cover can be prepped with a couple of coats of Gesso before painting or other techniques are applied. Gesso can be expensive for a program budget, so you can improvise with acrylic paints. I’ve also used coffee filters or tissue paper and glue. Fabric is another good alternative. Let your imagination rule!
Watching Nature, An Altered Book in Its Early Stages
This altered book had its first life as a computer programming textbook. Out-of -date and unwanted it is now morphing into an altered nature journal. It was in perfect condition with a strong spine, good binding, and no damage.
Sometimes it’s fun to break the rules and work on the cover first!
I had an idea for the cover and couldn’t wait to try it. I smeared a healthy amount of white glue on the cover, placed fabric on top of that, then bunched the material into pleasing shapes and folds. It dried quickly. Then I glued two pieces of wood that, when placed together, appeared to be eyes. I’m not done with the front cover yet.
Paint techniques using paper towels and acrylic paint provide not only color, but texture when applied in thick layers. Photocopies of my journal art with torn edges were glued on the painted pages. Next, I’ll add color to those images with pencils, watercolor, and/or oil pastels.
Tomorrow’s post will include books and resources…
