Bookmaking

Altered Books

Altered books are an art form in which existing books are re-worked into works of art. The book becomes a canvas for the new ideas and images.

Altered books have shown up in various forms throughout history. 11th Century Italian monks recycled manuscripts by scraping off the ink. These documents were known as “Palimpsest.” In the 19th century, scrapbooks consisting of ephemera from society - magazine images, personal recipes, and family photographs - were collaged into books. This Victorian practice was known as “Grangerism.”

Our books are all different and most are still incomplete. Here are some ideas and techniques to continue to add to the altered book:

• Paint over an entire page
• Spray paint
• Rubber stamp
• Collage a picture
• Cut out pages
• Add pages
• Make marks with crayons, markers, gel pens
• Glue something to a picture
• Add 3D items
• Highlight words with a pen
• Make up a poem using the words on the page
• Cut pages in half vertically or horizontally
• Add in old pages
• Cut out a page and reattach it with rings
• Add an envelope to a page; put a letter or picture inside it
• Add a vellum envelopes
• Glue on beads, puzzle pieces, buttons, dried flowers
• Sew two pages together with fibers or wire
• Sew a stick to your page
• Have an “artist page” for guests to sign
• Fold a page over and punch holes to tie a tag
• Cut out parts of a photo like a door or a window
• Attach a tie or ribbon for closing
• Punch holes and paint behind them or glue tissue paper under them
• Cut out a portion and make a mini-book to glue in
• Use mini brads to connect an object to the page
• Add fold-outs such as maps
• Line the inside covers with wrapping paper
• Write your own text from another book or page
• Lace the edges of the cover with wire, plastic, fibers, yarn, or ribbon
• Collage handmade papers on the cover
• Hang yarns and fibers from the spine
• Insert a card with photo corners
• Cut a window and cover with lace or vellum
• Make a shadow box