Crafting a Glue Book

These instructions will show you how to craft your very own glue book at home as well as provide you with a list of items you will need to gather in order to craft your glue book.

The cover photo pictured here is presented by Rivan, Maria. Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage. Laurence King Publishing, 2020.

1. Notebook, journal, or old unused books
2. Glue stick
3. Scissors
4. Exacto knife
5. Cutting mat or piece of thick cardboard to use in lieu of a cutting mat
6. Old magazines, catalogs, newspapers, or collage cut out books
7. Wrapping paper, scrap paper, or cardstock
8. Stickers or washi tape
9. Markers or pens (optional)

Start by choosing which type of book you will want to use. Notebooks or journals are great for starters. I personally like to repurpose older books I am not going to read again.

Select a book with:

1. Thick pages (so glue does not soak through)
2. A sturdy cover with a supportive binder
3. Enough pages for the number of creations you wish to showcase

Spiral notebooks will work but I prefer my glue books to have a binder.

If the pages are too thin, you can glue two pages together to make them stronger.

Some glue books are theme oriented while others are completely random.

If you choose to go the completely random route, you can skip this step.

Examples of themes:

1. Favorite colors
2. Travel and places
3. Inspirational Quotes
4. Things you may find in nature
5. Faith based items such as scripture
6. Pictures that convey a certain mood

Themes can help direct you to form your creativity but are certainly not required.

Next, create a pile comprised of all the cutouts you intend to use for your glue book. Magazines or pre-bought collage cut out books are a great go to because they contain many images that will help you create a unique glue book.

For this step, make sure you have:

1. Interesting color schemes or various textures
2. Patterns or backgrounds (this is where the newspapers and magazines come in handy.)
3. Cut outs of pictures you like, you may use scissors to cut the images out of your books or use your exacto knife with a cutting mat or piece of thick cardboard as backing to cut out your images, this is often times easier for smaller images but always do this with caution.

Cut out anything that jumps out at you or surprises you. The wonderful thing about glue books is, since it is your creation, there is no right or wrong way to design what you have in mind.

Don't worry about organizing just yet - only focus on collecting a pile of the necessary items you will need for this particular glue book.

Before ever securing and gluing anything into your glue book, place each piece onto your page to experiment with the layout.

You may try:

1. Layering pictures
2. Overlapping images
3. Creating a background
4. Adding words or phrases

Move things around until the page appears balanced and interesting to you.

Tip: It is advisable to start with larger pieces first and then add the smaller details.

Once you are satisfied with your layout, begin gluing the pieces into your book.

Steps:

1. Lift one piece at a time.
2. Apply glue evenly on the back.
3. Press it firmly on to the page.
4. Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles.

Continue until all your pieces are glued into place.

Be sure and allow your pages to dry completely before closing the book.

After gluing, you can decorate your page further.

Ideas include:

1. Notes or captions
2. Doodles or drawings
3. Highlighted quotes
4. Use stickers or washi tape

This step will help make your glue book unique and personal.

You can grow a glue book over time. There are no set in tone rules in place, just keep adding as you feel inspired to.

Try creating pages about:

1. Your day (diary/journal based)
2. Your goals
3. Favorite Bible verses
4. Memories with friends (like theater tickets)
5. Things you love

Your glue book is a place to creatively collect your thoughts and interests.

Glue books tend to help the artist to relax and destress. Now that you know all the proper steps, you're ready to start on your first page and see where it takes you!