Done Reading? IC 35: Book Finial

The challenge for this week on Iron Craft was to make something out of a book. I chose to make an ornament that aside from ripping off the covers left the book still legible (for a determined reader). I present the book finial.

I am confident you don't need a tutorial to make this project, but the camera was there so I took some shots and decided to write it up.

This is a very simple project. After you remove the front cover, each page in the book is folded in the same way.

Step 1. Fold the top right corner of the page into the binding of the book, making a right triangle.

It is just one big dog ear!


Step 2. Fold the folded edge of the triangle into the binding of the book. The bottom corner will hang below the bottom of the book.


Step 3. The the bottom edge of the folded page and bring it into the binding so that it lines up squarely with the center of the book.



Make a sharp crease for every fold and then move on to the next page.


You can see from this photo that as you get closer to the end of the book it gets a bit trickier to get the top folds tucked into the binding. It is possible to make it neat and pretty with a little patience. But in most cases it won't really affect the overall look of the finished finial.

These can be hung by threading rope through the spine and tying a knot to secure it below the book. They also look pretty cool used as fake finials on the mantel or in pots to look like topiaries. This one will likely find its way into my Halloween decorations.

No content of any book was harmed in the making of this craft. Should you choose to paint yours or use glue you will be on your own in any subsequent interactions with librarians.

Update: I always forget to add the link.... I'll do better in the future. You should go check out what the other Iron Crafters have produced in response to this week's challenge.