Making a Jewelry Box out of an Old Book

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Published by
Jimmy at
August 31, 2017

1.Choose an old book. The only requirement is that it be a hardcover book; you can use any kind you want, even old textbooks that you no longer need!
The length of the book is also up to you, but remember that the shorter the book (page-wise), the smaller your jewelry box will be.
2.Draw a rectangle inside the book. Open the book and, on the first page, draw a rectangle using your ruler. Your lines should be one inch from the edge all the way around.
3.Cut the pages. Use an X-Acto knife to cut along the lines of the rectangle you just drew. It may be helpful to use cut along the line of your ruler to keep your cuts as straight as possible.
Cut all the way around and discard the page rectangles from the center. Do this as many times as necessary.
Remember, the thicker your book is, the more cuts you'll need to make as the X-Acto knife will only go through a handful of pages at a time.
As you cut, it may be helpful to use a binder clip to hold the pages together that you have already cut. This will keep the pages you are done with out of your way as you continue cutting.

4.Shake all the excess paper out. As you cut, little slivers of paper will get lodged in the pages. Hold the book upside down by both covers and shake out any loose pieces.

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5.Glue the pages together. Use Mod Podge (crafting adhesive/sealant) to glue all of the pages. First, dip a paint brush in the Mod Podge and paint in between several pages to make them stick together. Then, paint the outside of all of the pages as well as the edges of the pages that are exposed inside the rectangle that you cut. You should glue the pages to the bottom cover, but leave the top cover of the book unglued.
Alternatively, you can use watered-down regular glue (Elmers, etc.) instead of the Mod Podge.
It should take the adhesive approximately ten minutes to fully dry.
Once the book is completely dry, the front cover of the book should lift up to reveal the cut-out rectangle pages where you can store your jewelry.
6.Decorate the outside. If you want to, you can decorate the outside of the book to make it more attractive. You can glue on rhinestones or fabric designs (flowers, etc.) to suit your taste.