Altering Books to Tell Your Story

What is an altered book? It is taking a used book, making it your own, giving it a new life. We will remove some pages to make room and use collage, drawing, painting, printing, and words with a wide variety of art materials available for your use. Choose a volume that no one is likely to read again, still has a sound binding, lays somewhat flat when open, and does not have shiny pages. Did you know that most secondhand books are never read again and end up being recycled? Good sources for books to alter are thrift shops, library sales, little free libraries, dollar stores, even your own book shelves. The instructor will also bring books to choose from.

For resources:

Possible materials to bring to Altering Books to Tell Your Story:

Bring piles of family photos that you don’t mind cutting, gluing into your book. For precious photos that you don’t want to alter, make a black and white photocopy. Go on a scavenger hunt in your basement and attic. Don’t eliminate ahead of time. Best if not presorted, just toss in a box.

Look in drawers and file cabinets for interesting documents, newspaper clippings, old letters, maps, passports. It’s OK to bring things you can’t figure out. Dirt, grease, dust on well-used recipes are no problem.

Next, go online to research background images of locations you love, where you have vacationed, where family members grew up, or immigrated from. Search out old books or old calendars from these places.

Make a stack of print images torn from magazines, newspapers or photocopy pages of books that speak to you for no explainable reason.

Photograph items in your home that are precious so you can tell the story. This can include art, dishes, jewelry, anything of sentimental value to you.

This is your story. Anything goes!