vintage book wrapped ornaments

i was inspired to do this by a project i saw by one of my favorite blogs, mod podge rocks. i am ADDICTED to mod podge. i try to think of new ways to use it all the time. it just reminds me of kindergarten craft time, and i can't get enough! so anyways... i saw these, and i thought that they would translate well to Christmas ornaments! so off i went to make them...

but before i get into the blogging for this project, let me start off by saying... tyler and i have been incredibly blessed this year. i was so worried that we wouldn't be able to decorate our apartment for Christmas, but God has made a way! we have spent a grand total of 35 cents (plus tax) and some mod podge i already had to make our perfect Christmas tree for our first "marry" Christmas. we had a dear friend graciously give us a pre-lit tree, ornaments, indoor/outdoor lights, and a wreath! in addition, our parents have also passed down decorations, which means a lot to us as well, because many of those decorations have a lot of emotional attachment for both of us. it has been so fun seeing how God really provided us with Christmas decorations. i know that there are so many more important things than decorations, but it has really helped tyler and i both get in the Christmas spirit on our first Christmas away from our parents' homes. just another example of how God truly does provide for the desires of our hearts. our tree isn't some big, grand tree. it's a lot smaller than the trees at our parents' houses and even in some of our friends' houses, but this tree is ours. and we absolutely adore it more than if we had the tree from rockefeller centre in our living room.

so, after that mini-sermon, on to the blog...

what i used:
mod podge
a 35 cent copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens that i found at a local used bookstore
sponge paintbrush
ornaments that were given to us by a dear friend

what i did:
1. i laid out that crate and barrel magazine to provide protection for my table. of course, i had already looked through it... gleaning much inspiration for other projects. but i digress.

2. i tore out pictures of the book and cut each page into strips, generally 2-3 lines long. i tore many of those in half as well to make them fit onto the ornaments, because some were smaller than others.

3. i spread mod podge over the entire ornament.

4. i attached the pieces of paper one-by-one to the ornament. i started at the top and went towards the bottom. i layered them side by side. i took the tops of the paper and tucked many of them underneath the top of the ornament to secure them without exposing the ends of the papers.

5. continue to spread mod podge over the tops of the papers gently. this helps when you are attaching other paper on top of strips and also to provide a glossy finish over the entire ornament.

6. once all the strips were attached to the ornament with none of the ornament underneath showing, glaze the paper with a light coat of mod podge.

7. hang ornaments to dry... be sure to look for any globs of mod podge. it can group together as it is hung, but you want to make sure you smooth those areas out, or those clumps will dry in clumps (i.e., not pretty)

(these pics were from the first ornament i made... as i made more, i found it easier to line the papers up side by side, as pictured below.)

8. once dry, hang!

i love these ornaments. i really wanted a vintage inspired black, white, and red tree, and that's exactly what i got! i paired these ornaments with white sparkly mini christmas ornaments and red shiny christmas ornaments. it's a perfect combo!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

fin.