# Easy/Cheap Spooky Books/Tomes



## Oddball (Jan 15, 2014)

Hey everybody! So, my dad's been bugging me for a while to share a few of the props I made for this past Halloween. It was a big deal, because it was the first one we've ever been able to have for Trick-or-Treaters, so now that I finally have a chance (three months later - yikes!) I don't mind talking about them!!

They are really cost-effective to make, and simple in design. They aren't as fancy as some, but I'm still proud of these, since I made them with things we had lying around the house! Depending on the size you want, they can take a few good guesses, and some trial and error. Right-click the thumbnails for bigger images.

*Materials;*
-Glue
-Paper
-Cardboard/boxes
-Computer/printer, or stencils/pens/paper
-Something to use for the pages - I chose to use *white paper bags* to look like normal parchment. (I got a huge pack of them for CHEAP online!)
-Something to color the books with, and something to literally throw the color on with, like your hand, a q-tip, cotton balls, etc; I chose some black wood stain we had in the house, vanilla extract, and food coloring. (Because I'm too cheap to buy actual ink!) 

As an after-thought, they could look cool with some sort of pop-out effect- like some kind of grimy trim from a very old chest or something along the binder... Anything noticeable enough, but low enough, to maybe be engraved/embossed, even.. Like a very flat spider or something.. Anyway.

*First, I made up a few cover designs on our computer, with the help of Photoshop.*
TIP: Depending on how big you want the books/the bags you have are (these are what I ordered), you might be able to make it easier on yourself by having the text/image/etc. on the right side of the paper, so that there is more space to the left. What this does, is automatically create the binder-space for you. You could even have some text scrolling vertically down that side!



I downloaded a few free to use paintbrushes (rather, the symbols) from DeviantArt.com. (I'd be happy to walk anyone through finding more brushes for your photoshop!)

I'm a big fan of a medieval game, so I chose Alchemy, Necromancer's Moon (which is an actual book in the Skyrim/Elder Scrolls game), and Destruction Magic. I chose these mostly because there are actual pages to read in the game from these books, and thought an open-book with such text would be interesting. You could also do things like Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, Illusion, Catalogue of Weapon Enchantments... Those are only a few of a hundred examples if you'd like to venture farther than the typical "Spells", "Black Magic", "Potions", etc., that you might normally see!

(Peruse these wiki pages on the Skyrim books for more ideas, if you'd like. Don't forget to use CRTL + F, so you can type in a word related to what you're feeling inspired by - like potions, destruction, anything! Books in general, books/spells by skill book, game spell-tomes)

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*Secondly, I used one of the paper bags to cut out some cardboard to make the cover, binder, and back part of the book. Here, I was checking to see if I had cut out big enough *pieces of cardboard*. Depending on how big you want it, that's how big the binder needs to be.* I was actually running a little low on the paper bags, so I balled some of them up, opened them, to help give the books a little touch of volume. You could always insert a toothpick, glue in cotton balls between the pages, etc., to help make them look more full. Don't worry if the edges are rough or rip - this will just add to the effect!

*Pieces of cardboard* I'm referring to all three books here. I cut out the first long piece that had the cover, spine, and back, and then made creases in it so it looked more like a book. After making sure the paper bags would fit, I used it as a template to cut out the other cardboard for the other books. 



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You can probably skip this step if you want to: I stacked the bags so that the folded end had a sort of PdPdPd pattern- top, bottom, top, bottom. It helped give them a more even look when stacked and in the prototype I made, so that the top part didn't look so much thinner than the bottom. I also cut along one side, trying to open them up for a more full look. This would also be useful if you wanted to create a book that was laid open, with script to read.



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You could probably just glue the bags to the cardboard you have already, but for extra support and security, you may want to do this also: *Cut out another piece of cardboard that is just big enough to sit in the spine on the inside of the book. This is what you will be gluing the pages to.* You can actually see it in the previous image, via the book that is open-pages-down on the desk, to the right. I had to be a little generous to the glue to encourage it to stick, but it was much easier to work because I was attaching it to another piece, before attaching it to the book itself.

 
(ignore the stain here.. haha. Prototype! Check out the back right- that's the back cover of my Necromancer's Moon. Pretty sweet, right?!)

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While the glue is drying, you're free to experiment with how you want your book to look. Like I said, I made mine using materials I just had around the house. I used a few blank sheets of paper first, and half of them, I dampened them with water. This has very interesting effects as long as you're gentle and don't rip the paper (too much!). Especially when combined with some stain in one paper plate, and water in another, and using paper towels to dab the stain on the wet sheet! Just wipe off with a dry paper towel, and it almost has a soot-like effect. You can do this with dry paper, too. This method also works for vanilla extract, which I found can give the page a yellowing-age look as long as you don't use too much in one spot - unless that's what you want! A lighter can also help with burned edges or smeared brown marks, as can food coloring. I had a little too much fun with this part; with any of these methods, and others, to help avoid a "purposefully done" look, you can always dab some on a q-tip, and flick it so that the paint/stain/etc. flies where the spooky spirits command! 

 
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Once you figure out your preferred method of decorating, it's safe to glue your paper covers to the cardboard. This is easy, but it takes some thought depending on how you want it to look. I was trying to avoid any front-page overlaps, and some less-noticable ones on the inside. I'm afraid I don't have any un-marked examples of this. It would probably be better if you decorated your pages, and allowed them to dry, before gluing. In these pictures of two different books, you can see where the pieces of paper I used to cover up the cardboard overlap.

 

Don't be afraid to throw some color on those pages, too. I actually got my hands covered in the food coloring and stain (..as you can see.. haha..) and handled the book as though I was actually using it, hence the half-handprint on the sides, and there are even finger prints along the inside of the cover and pages. Literally dunking it a little makes it look like something was spilled; get crazy! Also, if you use a lighter, get creative there too- the reason I have a burnt spot right in the middle of the Spells and Enchantments is because some kooky witch had it open and was reading it over a lit candle while she was trying to create enchantments! =)


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That's it, and I hope that this helps someone. Like I said, it's not top notch creation, but it was still a lot of fun to do, and I know these props will be cheap if I ever have to replace them. I'll be around if anyone has any questions or anything, I'm not always the best at explaining things, haha. I hope all the pictures help!


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Wow these look great! Not your average spell book. I like the splash of color and pretty easy too.


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