Get Lost in a Good Book: a Simple Book Nook in 9 Steps

Have some old, damaged books? Want to bring your favorite scenery or setting into your home?

Supplies: a hardcover book, rigid foam/posterboard/heavy
duty non-corrugated cardboard, decorative paper (I used encyclopedia pages for a black and white canvas)

Tools: Glues (stick glue, hot glue, liquid Elmer’s/school glue), markers or translucent paints, x-acto knife

Step 1: Choose the Book

Find a hardcover book, preferably one with an intact cover and spine, but damaged or missing pages. I found a box of Westerns by the roadside after a hard rain. The pages were already brittle, and now moldy too. Don’t sacrifice a book you love or a book that still has life in it.

Step 2: Remove the Text Block (Pages)

Fold the front and back covers back to expose the area where pages meet the spine. Carefully slice through the endpapers (and not the spine). Set the text block (chunk o’ pages) aside. If you want to paint or decorate the cover, do so now and let it dry.

Step 3: Cut Panels

Use the text block as your guide to cut reinforcing panels.

The front and back should be the same size as the text block’s (and a bit smaller than the covers).
The spine should be the length and width of the text block’s, but slightly shorter at top and bottom (I took 0.25 inches off both ends).
The ceiling and floor pieces should be narrower and shorter than the text block’s. The goal is to make them sit flush within the other foam pieces. You may need to make slight adjustments to ensure the book closes properly, with front and back covers parallel, not splayed.

Step 4: Cut Paper for the Panels

Wrap the fronts and edges of the cover and spine pieces in your chosen paper.

I used encyclopedia pages as they had black text on a white background, and the paper was like onionskin. This kind of paper didn’t add bulk, but I did worry about the markers/paint bleeding. If you want to use watercolors, I recommend applying a clear gesso first. Don’t use newspaper—it will yellow and disintegrate. You can use the pages that you cut out of this book if they are flexible, but mine were crumbling.

Trim paper to size, leaving an overlap to glue to the backsides of the foam pieces. You can fold or cut the corners to get a clean, mitered edge.

Step 5: Glue the Paper to the Panels

Glue the paper to the foam panels on the front, edges, and wrapped around to the back. I used Elmer’s stick glue, as liquid school glue would cause wrinkles and hot glue would leave lumps. Let dry.

Wrap the ceiling and floor pieces completely in the paper, as their insides and outsides will be visible. Aim to have the seam/overlap near the long edge of the panel.

Step 6: Glue Three of the Panels to the Hardcover

With the book spread open, hot glue the backs of the cover and spine panels to the hardcover interior.

Do not glue the ceiling/top or floor/bottom panels yet.

Step 7: Decorate!

Decorate! I chose my favorite local scenery, as I find the same kind of peace there as I do in a book. Keep in mind the scale – small trees at the back, objects appear larger closer to you. If you want any 3D elements, decide how you will make them.

Waterfall: I cut 6 skinny strips (approx. 0.5 inches wide), colored them blue on the front and back (using two different markers), then braided them. Braid gently, as the paper may tear. I then glued braid #1 at the top of the spine panel. I glued the braid #2 at the base of the spine panel. I then glued braid #1 to the spine, just above where I glued the start of braid #2. I curled the ends of braid #1 around a pencil to help form the foamy that collects at the base of a waterfall, and left them loose. I glued braid #2 down in a few spots along the floor panel to ensure it didn’t unravel.
Pine/conifer tree: I cut then colored a 2-inch-wide strip of paper green on the front and back (using two different markers). I then snipped along the edges, creating a sort of hula skirt/fringe/bangs. I then took a disposable plastic drinking straw, snipped the end into a point, cut a 1.5-inch segment, and glued one edge of the paper to the straw. I then wrapped the paper around the straw, at an angle—each layer slightly overlapping the previous one, but also moving diagonally toward the top—and used glue here and there. I twisted and glued the paper at the top.
Oak/deciduous tree: I left this uncolored, but cut a 2-inch-wide strip of paper, and fringed one short end of it, cutting about 4 inches into the paper. I wound it around another 1.5-inch segment of the drinking straw, winding it from the bottom upward, gluing where necessary. When I got to the fringe, I gently twisted them into little branches, and applied more glue.
I chose to color in clouds on the inside of the ceiling panel, and blue water for the interior floor panel.

Step 8: Add the Ceiling and Floor Panels

(The photo shown is from my second attempt to do this diorama. Your paper should already be glued to your panels before you attach the ceiling and floor to the spine)

Attach the ceiling and floor panels to the spine using hot glue. When set, gently fold the front and back covers in, to gauge alignment. (I miscalculated and had to slope the floor and ceiling a bit.)
Glue the right edges of the ceiling and floor panels, and sticking them to the right/back cover. Hold in place until dry.
Then glue the left edges of the ceiling and floor panels, and stick them to the left/front cover. Hold in place until dry.

Step 9: Enjoy

Enjoy and display proudly.

Some thoughts:

I recommend a vertical format. You could go horizontal, but the ceiling and floor would be very large, with narrow walls.
This isn’t super sturdy—don’t stack other books atop it.
You could also use pre-made miniatures, decide to electrify it with some small LEDs, recreate your favorite scene from a book.