Looking to add a touch of vintage charm to your home decor this Valentine's Day? Join us in this tutorial, where we'll show you how to upcycle thrifted books into this adorable vintage Valentine's Day book stack with a romantic twist.
First things first, we'll guide you through the process of creating exquisite mould castings using our IOD air dry clay. Trust us, dusting the moulds with a bit of cornstarch is such a help to get those clean impressions with clay (you can always pop them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes if you’re struggling to get a decent casting). We'll share some tips on how to handle the clay and avoid breakage or fix it when it happens. Then, we'll dive into resin casting for that perfect, crisp detail. We'll take you through every step, from clay to paint, transfers to stamps, and sealing with wax, so you can recreate these beautiful book stacks effortlessly.
Please note, we only show making the top book in the video tutorial. You should make both books at the same time. The only differences will be that you will NOT create a frame and transfer on the top of the bottom book (you won’t see it once stacked), and you will stamp “FOREVER” on the spine of the bottom book instead of “always and” which appears on the top book. Don’t put any moulds on the bottom of either book. This will help them stack easily.
These charming books make us giddy! We just love how the top frame is filled by the sweetest roses from our Melange transfer. Whether you keep these books for yourself or gift them to someone special, they'll surely bring a touch of love to your Valentine's Day decor.
Grab your IOD products and supplies by using the store locator and finding a stockist near you: ironorchiddesigns.com/retailers/.
IOD Products Needed:
✨ Trimmings 1 Mould
✨ Air Dry Clay
✨ Lock and Key Mould
✨ Frames Mould
✨ Letterpress Stamp
✨ Stone Grey Ink
✨ Ephemeral Melange Transfer
✨ Light Pink Paint (Chalk, mineral-type, or other paint your stockist may carry; check for their recommendation)
Other Supplies:
🎨 Thrifted Books
🎨 Clear Wax
🎨 Dark Wax
🎨 Titebond Quick and Thick Glue
🎨 Amazing Resin
Timestamps:
00:04 - Creating mould castings with Air-dry clay
00:28 - Attach mould castings with glue
00:37 - Shape and adjust the clay, particularly around the spine and cover
00:45 - Applying resin to the front cover
01:01 - Painting the entire book surface with pink chalk paint
01:24 - Gluing the frame onto the book cover
01:30 - Adding a flower transfer to the front cover
01:43 - Stamping the letters "always" and "and"
04:24 - Applying dark wax to create an aged look
07:07 - Final touches and adjustments
If you're new to Iron Orchid Designs (aka IOD), welcome! Check out this playlist to learn all about the product basics: bit.ly/IODProductBasics.