I had a blast! This is the 'Harvest Queen" I made for my entry. Directions are below the images, if you want to have some fun.
DIRECTIONS: ( I was sent (by the UHU company, for the contest) the unpainted box, some scrapbooking papers, die cuts, 3 pieces of ribbon, buttons, and the little mirror squares.) You can pick any papers or embellishments you want.
“HARVEST QUEEN”
Materials:
1) any secondhand hardback book - size about 5” X7” or 6” X8” (the Reader’s Digest book I used I already had on hand - it was 50 cents at a thrift store)
2) 6” wide orange silk flower with stem cut to 6” long - mine was purchased over a year ago at a national discount chain craft store - on sale for $2.99
3) UHU Glues
4) inexpensive craft paint (black, white, and orange if desired) (can be purchased for 99cents each, or less ,on sale, at most discount craft stores - I had the paint in my studio already.
5)sturdy hole punch, or awl - also on hand in my studio
6) small squeeze bottle of orange glitter glue - $2.00 - I had it on hand in my art supplies.
Inexpensive paint brush or sponge paint brush
Optional:
Little hole-less beads if desired, for embellishment (I have them on hand already)
Rubber stamp alphabet (I have on hand)
I purchased nothing extra for this project, because my mixed media art studio is full of basic supplies of paints, brushes, glitters, books, etc.
Est. cost of additional supplies I’ve listed above: $8.50
Directions:
BOOK and BOX PREPARATION
1) Paint both covers and spine of book black, outside only. Paint entire box and box lid inside and out, with black paint. Let dry completely.
2) When book is dry, punch one hole in each outer corner of book covers, front and back, about 3/8” in from side, near tops and bottoms of covers.
3) Open painted book to the middle. Take orange flower, and place 3” of stem in middle of book, leaving approx. 3” of stem and flower sticking out from top.
With Twist ‘N’ Glue, generously squeeze glue over stem portion in the book, drizzling plenty onto the book page, then clamp book closed,
VERY tightly, or weight it closed with heavy brick block, book press, or other heavy stable object. Let dry completely over night. Do NOT glue other book pages together.
4)Cut the provided white ribbon length in half. Thread one piece of ribbon through the previously punched holes in the book covers at top, front /back. Tie together tightly into knot, (this will keep book tightly closed), then a bow for decoration. Put a drop of Twist ‘N” Glue on bow, to keep it tied. Repeat for bottom holes of book covers.
5) Stamp front cover with white paint, or freehand brush or write with white pen, the words “Harvest Queen“, on the book cover, as shown in the picture. Optionally add orange glitter glue for effect on the white letters; Set book aside.
BOX PREPARATION
1) Lid - With sharp scissors, carefully cut one corner of the black painted box lid, just up to the flat portion of the lid. Repeat with one more corner next to the previously cut one. This flap will later be the ‘lid hinge’ for the box top. Set lid aside.
2)Box - Decorate the inside bottom of the painted box with decorative leaf patterns, pumpkin, acorn, etc. (the die cuts provided by UHU, I painted and glittered). Use Twist ‘n’ Glue to glue little mirror squares to box bottom. Use UHU Tac to adhere the die cuts to the bottom, overlapping them and giving them ‘dimension’ with the Tac. Outline mirrors with orange glitter glue, if desired.
3) Glue decorative die cut leaf to inside center of painted box lid, using Twist ‘n’ Glue. Over paint the leaf and lid interior with the glue, for extra shine. Decorate the outside lid as desired, with mirror squares, die cuts, using the UHU glue roller for narrow pieces. Add the tiny hole-less beads to any die cut, as desired, using a thin line of Twist ‘N’ Glue.
4) When box lid and interior box bottom décor are dry, glue lid flap (previously cut in step 1 above) to outside top of left side of box, to create a ‘door’ effect. Use Twist ‘n’ Glue and clamp lid flap to box until thoroughly dry.
5) With the lid open, glue three 2” strips of ribbon to inside “hinge”, half on the lid interior, half in the box. Let dry. Glue buttons over each ribbon end for added strength of the hinge, and for added decoration. Set box aside.
Harvest Queen “Legs”:
1) using aUHU Glue stick, glue two pieces of any patterned cardstock together. (approx 4” X 6”) (these were provided for the challenge contestants.) Paint them as desired, or leave as is. When dry, cut the glued piece from one corner diagonally to within one inch of the opposite corner, making two ‘triangles‘. As seen in the picture, using a UHU glue stick, rub glue on the top half inch of the 3” part of the ‘leg’ triangle; gently prying the book pages apart at the base of the book, slide each leg in and press book closed . For added effect, tie 2 ribbon sections into bows, gluing one bow onto narrow base of each ‘leg’ for ‘shoes’, using the Twist ‘N’ Glue. (see picture)
Harvest Queen “Arms”
1) Take one thick piece of cardstock, (about 5”X7”) paint one side black. (I used the remaining piece of scrapping paper provided).
When dry, cut diagonally as with step one (1) of book ‘legs’. With paper remnants from the legs, or any decorative scraps, decorate the black surface of the cardstock ‘arms’, using the UHU glue roller and/or glue stick. This will be the ‘outside’ of the arms.
2) Using Twist ‘N’ Glue, attach ½” of the 5” sides of each triangle to the back of the book, left and right. Set book on its back while ‘arm’ attachments dry, placing waxed paper under book to avoid glue spills.
3) At this time, glue the base of the decorated box to the center front cover of the book, using Twist ‘N’ Glue. With the box lid closed, set a heavier book carefully on top to press the box to the book until the glue dries.
4) When the box bottom is firmly attached to the book cover, attach one ‘arm’ to the lower left corner of the lid, over the hinge;
(**)make a ‘hand’ with a 1”circle punch, and glue it on top of the ‘wrist’ at the point of attachment to the lid. (see image.) Decorate the hand with a button, gluing on with Twist ‘N’ glue.
5) Attach the other ‘hand’ section (point of triangle) to inside of box, opposite the hinged side. Glue in place with Twist ‘N’ Glue, clamp until dry. Repeat (**) in step 4.
6) With another piece of ribbon, tie a glittered bow around ‘neck’ of flower.
7) With a scrap of paper left from leg construction, cut a triangle for the 'crown' - insert into top of silk flower - glue in place with Twist 'N' Glue.
8) Attach a hangar to upper back of book, to allow hanging on a wall . (a simple 'push in' toothed metal hanger works well)
