Monday, December 21, 2015

DIY Swag - Mini book charms & Ornaments. (Tons of images!)


For my first book, I made these adorable mini books, then I saw the super cute idea to turn them into Christmas ornaments.

I made a TON of these  mini books. I use them for key chains, these ornaments, and charm bracelets. I'm sure there are a slew of other things you can do with them too.

I love to give cute things like this to friends and family, and use them for giveaways, (and have some for me!) but if you're like me, then you can't afford to spend millions of dollars paying someone else to make them for you. 

So here is my tutorial, with a bunch of crappy pictures.

<3 Enjoy!













The pile of mini books. (Excluding all the ones with covers that aren't public yet.)




What you need:


Book:
Scissors
Mod podge
Sculpey III (I used the original Sculpey but it was weird, and a little TOO soft to work with for my tastes.)
Jump rings
Scalpel
Needle nose pliers
Flat pliers
Coaster, or flat object
Self healing mat
1 2in Head pin, (If you want the jump ring through the corner - this is where Sculpey III comes in handy.)


Ornaments:
80MM ornament ball
Tinsel /confetti/both/whatever floats your boat.
Ribbon




Instructions:


1.
Print out 1" high covers of your book. With at least 1-3 extra for you to use in creating the "pages" of the book.

I noticed they lasted a lot longer with Sculpey III because it wasn't as oily as the original.









2. Break of little globs of Sculpey, and place on your self healing mat - the lines come in handy. :D

Flatten it to 1/4" I used a coaster.























3. Slice along one side. This will be the spine. Then  wrap the cover around it, and trim.





4.Use the scalpel to lightly score lines around the 3 exposed edges.

This is where you decide where the jump ring will go. If you want it in the top. just insert, and press the edges of the book together until they are straight again.

 if you want it in the corner like I use for most of mine, then you will need your needle nose pliers and that headpin.
(Sorry no photo of it!)

Bend the end of the pin until it's slightly rounded, a bit larger than the jump rings. (Image of it in step 8.)



5. Now, gently peal the cover off, and place thebook insides in a clean pyrex dish.

Bake at 275F for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely before doing anything with them. (It's a good time to finish cutting out your covers, or read a chapter or two in whatever you're reading.)


6. Paint the book with Mod podge.

place the cover over it and position it where you want it. Gently press down on the spine to conform.

Then Paint over the top of the cover.
Probably be a little less messy than I was.



7. Set them to dry so the covers wont get stuck to anything. And let them dry OVERNIGHT. they will be dry to the touch, but you can still mess them up.

(Sneak peak of the spine of one of my covers.)


Don't forget to wash your brush with warm soapy water when you're finished.











8. Okay then. If you chose to do the top mounted jump ring, move along to the ornament bit, or be happy and call it finished.
For those who like the corner. Use the headpin to pierce the cover, spine first, and wiggle it around in there to make sure the way is clear for the jump ring.

The jump ring should slide in easy, if not, wiggle the headpin around. (Don't floss it all the way through, the flat part of the head will be too big)





















So that's it. It's pretty easy, and you'll get the hang of it once you make a few.


Ornament instructions!!


1. Dismantle it, take the top off the ornament, and take the metal dohicky out.

I added 6 jump rings to my book to make it hang in the middle.


2. Chop up some sparky things, add glitter, confetti, whatever you picked. some big and little pieces are good.



3. Thread a piece of ribbon through the tiny tiny holes in the top. - Hook the top jump ring through it. - Tighten the ribbon and tie it in a pretty little bow. 


4. Put the metal doohickey back in place.
Then gently stuff the book through the opening, and You're almost done.


Take a hook or another piece of ribbon and tie it in a loop through the doohickey. 




Now you have an custom and wicked awesome ornament to give to fans, family, friends, or keep for your own tree! Enjoy! 



Super blurry photo of my 4 in action, being all Christmassy and whatnot.  And my husband's Bruins light up ornament. 


1 comment: