This Hack Upcycles Unused Bricks Into Adorable Book Decor
Do you have a garden or library you'd like to spruce up for spring? Or maybe you just want a cute paperweight or bookend for your office. A new TikTok trend is here just in time to help you out.
TikTok user @jeffmackay specializes in DIY painting projects, and their latest video is perfect for someone who loves reading. In the video, basic bricks are turned into beautiful classic books using just a little paint.
@jeffmackay Brick Books 📚 DIY take bricks and paint to create fun whimsical garden art or use as a door stop or bookends... tutorial will be up on Patreon tomorrow – link in bio... creat the covers to your favorite stories... #booktok #diybook #brickbooks #diy #handmadecrafts #fyp #artsandcrafts #handmade #artsandcrafts #cottagecoreaesthetic #gardenart
To make the books, a bit of Mod Podge, a water-based sealant and finisher, is added to the paint color of your choice and then spread out evenly over the brick, leaving three sides blank. After drying, lighter paint is used on the three remaining sides to replicate the book's pages. Then, the creator uses stencils to give the appearance of paper. Using a ruler, they apply gold paint to draw an outline on the cover.
Allow the paint to dry again (a hair dryer works well to speed things up) and then it's time to finish the book by drawing small horizontal lines on the book's spine and adding a personalized logo, like a publisher would have, at the bottom. This can be any design you'd like, and it adds to the project's custom feel.
You won't be able to tell the difference between these painted bricks and real novels.