Altering Books Tutorial

Watch this pages of my altered book of virgins to get inspired!

Altering books is an art form that has been around for many years, I was introduced to this art form by my dear mother, she gave me my first book about this named: Altered Books Workshop: 18 Creative Techniques for Self-Expression by Bev Brazelton  Find it here!   I am in love with this art and I`ve seen this evolve, I know mix it with the art of journaling wich also accepts many of the same techniques, I share with you some of the videos I`ve made about it, I hope you enjoy! For more join the altering books path group at Hands and Heart wich is open to the public!


For a great site to get book binding supplies on line go here!

Choose a book with a hard cover, it`s better for this protects the pages and the works you will be doing in your book, I`ve learned first about how to make a book, how to sew it and glue the spine and all it takes to make one, this helped me a lot in keeping my books firm and in place. Along the way I`ve lost some cool pages because of not being careful and adding too much glue or paint in the spine and then it became wet and broke. Always think about the spine and the fragile paper that is close to it, I recommend that if you want to try a more heavy duty work, add some collage or fabrics to the center of the pages so it is stronger.

You can learn how to make a book on line here! It is important for you will be abusing the book a lot so it`s good to know how they are made so it won`t fall apart after so much work yo put on them!




This is a link to some books about altering books:


I usually glue two pages so they are stronger and I can add freely all mediums I want but I`ve also done it with simple pages. Adding a coat of guesso or even medium will make my page last, but i keep in mind no to add too much watery mediums for this will make the fibers weak and finally brake!


Experiment a lot!  No art can be called that in the first stages so be patient!  Experiment with those mediums you have and learn how they react in your book, not all papers in every book are the same, some are stronger, some are very light and all will react different with diverse materials. Children books are an excellent choice for the pages are very thick and you can do a lot in them, but they have to be sanded in order to make them absorb the mediums,  remove the plastic feel of the illustrations and then you can work on them, another option is to make your own books or journals but I find it a lot more fun to use an old book found at a flea market or in a used books library at very low prices!  The possibilities are endless!
How to prepare the pages

Are you inspired to create unique altered books now?  

Please visit this wonderful store and find great objects that will awaken your creativity!  Click on image to go there!