The Haunted Cauldron

I sometimes tend to over think a design, however, once I stopped thinking about it and just started to actually cut and shape the image in my head things went much faster and easier. I just cut, glued, and taped as I formed the book. The measurements below are the approximate sizes I was able to get from my recycled box which pretty much determine my overall size for this spell book.

The photos below will walk you through each step to complete a very easy and CHEAP open style Spell Book.

 

 

I started off with a 6″ x 11″ pc of card board. Once I figured out what angle I wanted my book to rest at, I folded my piece of card as seen below:

Using one of my 6″ x 7″ squares, I rough traced the shape of the angled side. I was able to get 2pcs for this one square (as seen in 1st photo),

 

I added glue along all edges (see above) and secured with tape . I also added the second 6″ x 7″ square to the bottom. Completed book stand glued and taped together seen below:

Now time to glue to the book base.

Added glue to the bottom of the stand and centered stand at the bottom edge of my 15″ x 11″ piece of card board.  Below you will see the book stand glued to main book base:

Onto the pages

Following the ribs in the corregated cardboard I fold the entrie length of the board like an accordion. This allows for easy bending and shaping of the page base. The photos below show front and back views after the bends have been made and the two pieces have been taped together in the center.

Now on to figuring out the position and height you want your pages to be. NOTE: I referenced an open dictionary for the height of the pages in the open/used position.

Using a few scrap pieces of cardboard, I rough traced the bend on the pages as seen in photos below:

 

All taped and glued.

Now I’m ready for mache. I covered the entire book with paper napkins and paper mache paste (approx. 4 layers).  Below is the first layers of  the paint base coat:

So while my base coat was drying, I started adding age to my pre-printed Spell for Ultimate Power. I think everyone along with every Home Haunters, is familiar with the witche’s spell from Shakespeare’s Macbeth..Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. So with that said, I had to use it for my spell book display. If you like the style I used you can find the spell and clip art I put together HERE.

 I filled the sink with leftover morning coffee and soaked my stark white pages.

 

Since the pages were not dark enough after the inital coffee soak, and I’m lazy and didn’t want to soak, dry and soak again, I just poured coffee randomly over the pages and let it dry (as seen below). This actually worked out better for me. Once dry it provided a better random aged look (dark/light spots).

Although the coffe gives the color of age it does not necessarily give the worn/used appearnce. So I wrinkled/crumpled the paper while still damp. This way the paper had both the color of age and the texture of being old and used.

Although not a great picture, you can still make out the wrinkles in the below photo (paper is still damp):

 

I went ahead and added more coffee after I wrinkled the page (so the coffee would pool in random areas across the paper). Below  you can see the overall color difference – stark white to more of an old aged look.

So again this is all a very rough cut style. I tore several extra pieces of paper into small rough squares. 

 

 Reason for this is to give the illusion of curled corners.

I then glued the full spell page to the page base covering my extra corner pieces. To curl and maintain shape of corners,  I painted a thin layer of Elmer’s glue over each corner. Using the end of my paint brush, I roll/curled the corner. Once dry the corners are stiff and remain shaped/position. 

 

I added more of the base page paint around edges of paper and let dry.

 

  Added paint and final details 

Curled corners gives the illusion of multiple pages even though there is only one full page.

Since it seamed like the book needed a book marker, I ran a string of beads which found in the jewerly and bead section at the local craft store down the center.  I added a few extra random beads to the page for added texture (see in below pictures):

Right side of the book

Left side of the Book

Book Mark Detail

 

I think they are going to look great for my 2010 Witches Cabinet Display (sorry for a crappy picture…my camera just does not bring out all the color detail that well).

Happy Hauntings