Recycled book secret jewelry box

When is a book not a book?  When it’s a box of course. Find an old book, add a few supplies and when you are done you will have a jewelry box where you can store all your secret or not so secret items.

You will need:

An old book (thrift stores are great sources)

An X-Acto craft knife

Clear tacky glue

Small paintbrush

Scraps of felt

Scissors

Ruler, pencil

Scrap book paper in print or desired color

Paper plate

1.     Open the book cover and using ruler and pencil, measure a rectangle shape the size you want your cavity to be.

2.     Squirt some clear tacky glue on a paper plate for ease in loading your brush.  Open the front cover (You do not want that to adhere) Apply some glue to the back cover and attach.  And using the small paintbrush spread a generous amount of glue on all three sides of the book.  (You are gluing the pages together so be generous with the application.) 

3.     Place a heavy object on the book and let dry completely.

4.     When the pages are dry, use the X-acto knife to begin hollowing out the cavity.  Follow the line of the rectangle and cut around.  You may cut only a few pages at a time.  Continue cutting out the rectangle until your cavity is as deep as you want it. 

5.     Measure the depth and area around the cavity.  Cut a strip of felt the depth by the perimeter of the cavity and attach with some tacky glue.  Be generous with the glue.  Cut a rectangle of felt the size of the bottom of the cavity.  Spread some tacky glue on the bottom of the cavity and attach the felt. 

6.     Measure the margins around the opening and cut four strips of scrapbook paper to fit.  Attach with some tacky glue. 

7.     Close the book and place a heavy object on top and let dry completely.  You now have a secret book box!