Rather than purchasing antique books for the Beginning of a New Chapter Baby Shower, I decided to DIY some cardboard boxes that could be used as both decor and a card holder.
I started with these paper mache book boxes from Amazon. They served as the perfect blank canvas to customize with craft paper and paint.
I purchased some Etsy instant downloads for book covers and vintage style pages that I printed at home and cut to fit the size of the box. From there, I used Mod Podge to adhere the cover papers to the top and bottom of the box. Apply a layer of Mod Podge directly on the box, enough to be visible (white) on the surface, and a layer to the back of the paper. Work swiftly since Mod Podge dries quickly! Smooth the paper onto the surface and let it dry 15-20 minutes before applying another layer of decoupage over the top. You will want to let that dry and only apply more coats if it feels needed.
Once the paper was dry, I painted the sides and edges of the box to blend and match the colors of the front and back covers. I painted the ridges on the spine different colors so they'd stand out when stacked or placed upright on a table.
Don't worry about painting perfectly straight lines, or if wrinkles appear from the decoupage. Remember, these are supposed to be antique books, so they've been around for a while! A little wear and tear makes them feel more authentic!
The sides of the box, aka pages, are then painted white - you can use a paint brush with thicker bristles to give the effect of page lines.
From there, I crafted the interior of the boxes. I only ended up adding the page paper to the book that would be used for the Time Capsule box since it was the one that would be open during the shower. On the other books, I simply painted any edges that would be visible when the boxes were closed so there wouldn't be any cardboard showing.
Similar to the front and back cover pages, cut the paper to fit the interior of the box, and then follow the same decoupage technique to adhere the paper. I applied a paint color to try and blend the paper edges with the cardboard since the size didn't exactly match up. It's not perfect...but at a quick glance, it's a fun visual when the box is open!
This is a great example of one project that had two purposes - unique decor and an activity that ended as a takeaway for the parents-to-be!
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