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We’ve had some big changes here at the Readers.com® office lately — and the most exciting one? A NEW OFFICE! One of the most special rooms in the entire office is the “Readers.com Nook,” a library room for meetings and chat sessions. We had this
dingy old table that was in serious need of a strip job or some TLC. Instead of spending hours upon hours with the sander and new stain, we decided to cover our meeting table in vintage book pages!
How to Make the Book Pages Table:
You need:
- A LOT of Mod Podge (we used about a half-gallon for a 10-by-4 table)
- A brush
- A table
- Old, unreadable books (don’t want to waste anything good!) 😉
Start by layering the Mod Podge on the table and then placing pages strategically in the Mod Podge. Once you have a base layer of pages, you can add another layer of Mod Podge on top of the dry pages and repeat the process until you have the entire table covered.
Unless you’re a Mod Podge drip ninja and can catch every little drop before it falls to the ground, we recommend using some type of floor covering to prevent any Mod Podge from getting on your floor. And this type of project is always more fun with a friend! ; )
After you do a few layers, go back and sand any rough edges/raised page pieces and add a final layer of Mod Podge. If you want to add a waterproof seal to the table, you can always spray a layer of clear spray paint, but Mod Podge is surprisingly durable.
And voila! Recycled, functional, awesomeness.
And our bookshelves made of books! ; )
Happy crafting from Readers.com®!
11 Comments
Heather
Very cute! Looks like it was fun too!
Cathey E. DeRosa
I love this. You asked our opinion on what kind of book should be decoupaged on the table. My thought is a book that I like. Get an extra copy at a used book store so you always have a copy for yourself.
Another idea is a dictionary or encyclopedia. While people are sitting at the table the are bound to read what is there. You could even do a colorful encyclopedia, once again purchased at a used bookstore or a thrift store. It would definitely be a conversation piece and they can get a little knowledge along the way!
admin
Hi Cathey! Thank you so much for your responses and ideas! We LOVE the dictionary/encyclopedia idea. Good luck with your table!
Amy N.
This table looks amazing! I have a table that got beat up in a move and I’m looking to do something similar to it. How is the Mod Podge holding up? My boyfriend like to use those cleaning wipes every day after dinner to clean the table and I don’t know if the Mod Podge will hold up.
admin
Hi Amy! We use the table pretty puch everyday in one of our meeting rooms, and we don’t have any problems with it! I’m not sure how it will be using cleaning wipes on it everyday, but we did add a layer of clear spray paint to keep it from sticking to our drinks, etc. Send us a picture if you end up doing it!
Anna
This is awesome! I have a couple desks where I work that are in sorry shape and we’re thinking of doing something like this (it’s a library so it would be totally appropriate LOL). My only question is can you use Mod Podge on a surface that is not real wood? I think the desks are particle board or some other faux wood with a laminate wood-looking surface, and I want to make sure this could be done before we start. I couldn’t tell if your table was real wood or not, so I thought I’d ask. Thank you for your help. 🙂
admin
Hi Anna! We love the idea of using this method on your desks. 🙂 Although we only tested our book pages on a wood table, we took a look at the Mod Podge basics page on their site (//www.plaidonline.com/decoupage/dept/basics.htm), and it seems to say that you can use them on wood-like surfaces, too:
“The art of decoupage is more than simply gluing paper to surfaces. However, it is as easy as that! It is about creating items for home décor and gift giving. Surfaces such as wood, terra cotta, metal, tin, glass, paper mache and fabric are all surfaces that can be decorated!”
Hopefully this helps, and good luck with the project! 🙂