During my vacation last summer, I noticed that the house next door had placed a stack of old encyclopedias outside. Feeling compelled to rescue them from being discarded, I took them without knowing exactly what I would do with them. However, one evening while browsing Pinterest, I stumbled upon a captivating DIY tutorial on crafting your own Grimoires. 'Brouhaha!' I thought to myself, the encyclopedias I had salvaged have a spooky next chapter (pun intended).
Please find below my tutorial on how to create your own. I recommend searching for encyclopedias on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or even in your mom's basement where they might have been gathering dust since the 80s.
Lets start with supplies. Find everything I used by clicking here.
Now, onto the business. I find overly wordy DIY tutorials to be exhausting so I will not torture you with that. Find pictures with short and sweet descriptions below!
List of Materials:
Hot Glue & Hot Glue Gun
Mod Podge
Paper Towels
Creepy Crawley bugs and other front decor of your choosing
Old Books or Encyclopedias
Black, Brown & Gold Paint
Paint Brush, large and detail
Ensure the front cover of your book is clean enough for the hot glue to adhere to it securely. Then, carefully choose a design and attach plastic bugs to the front using hot glue.
Next take a paper towel and gently pull it apart so that the 2-ply becomes 2 pieces of 1-ply.
After obtaining a single-ply paper towel, lightly moisten it with a small quantity of water. Place the dampened paper towel over the bugs that have been affixed to the surface of the encyclopedia or book using hot glue.
To achieve a weathered leather appearance, use a paintbrush to apply Mod Podge on the paper towel and affix it to the front of the book. For added uniqueness and a spooky vibe, consider exposing some of the bugs. Check out my example below for reference.
Let book dry overnight and then in the morning it will be ready to paint. I used a chalk paint in flat matte black, which I have linked in my supply list on Amazon. It achieved a wonderful imitation of a leather texture.
While the black paint was drying, but still wet, I applied a layer of brown paint to achieve a beautifully weathered leather appearance. Using a delicate stroke, I blended the two colors together, intentionally creating an asymmetrical and uneven effect.
I went though and added some gold details to all of my book fronts. I would apply with a small detail brush and then blend in with a piece of paper towel to make it look more rustic and worn.
I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this project. While my DIY endeavors usually have a 50/50 success rate, this particular one was so fun to do. It just goes to show that if I can do it, so can you. There's no right or wrong way!
I showcased these books in various stacks around my home and displayed them prominently on my mantle. Curious to see the final result? Scroll down for images and feel free to follow me on Instagram for more on Home, Lifestyle, and the occasional DIY inspiration!
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