How to Make a Book Look Old DIY | DIY Old Book

This how to make a book look old DIY will help you in turning your book collection into rusty and vintage, which will further increase the maturity of your reading space!

For an avid reader, the smell of new paperbacks can be exhilarating. Even though that is undoubtedly true, nothing can be compared to the striking look of the vintage books. Whether you use it for décor or to have an authentic reading experience, old books are very popular. But not always you’ll be able to find the right vintage book to suit your ambiance and collection at home. Therefore, learn some tips and tricks on how to make a book look old DIY idea to suit your needs when it comes to a vintage-looking book! Here we will show you some techniques which you can try to make a book look old.

How to Make a Book Look Old DIY

1. Using Coffee

This addictive drink works wonders in transforming a new book into an old one. There are a few different ways of using coffee for this DIY.

-Sponge Brush

• Take a cold cup of dark brewed coffee.
• Tear the outer covers of the book.
• Place the book on wax paper to avoid any marks and the book to stay put on the surface.
• Dip the sponge brush in the coffee and start brushing the coffee on the book pages.
• Paint the back and front pages.
• Make sure to apply coffee on all four sides.
• Dry it thoroughly, preferably in natural sunlight.
• The book is ready. You can wrap it in a ribbon or create a new jacket for them for gifting or decorating.

-Soaking

• Tear off the cover of the book till you get the inside cover as the first page.
• Fill 2/3rd of a big bowl (big enough to fit the book) with dark coffee.
• Soak the book in that bowl and open pages to let the coffee inside all of them.
• Soak for about 30 minutes.
• Dry it completely in the sun. Through this method, the whole book gets the coffee stain.
• You can also use a bucket to soak multiple books at once.

2. Using Tea

You can use tea in a similar way for staining the book pages. However, tea generally gives a lighter texture than coffee.

3. Using Wax

You can use wax to make the books look antique by using the dry brushing technique. Always choose a dark wax to get a considerable antique/rusty stain.

• Remove the outer cover of the book. However, you can try this method with the book cover as well.
• Take a dense brush with preferably tiny rough bristles.
• Take a slight amount of the wax on the brush and gently stroke it on the book pages.
• Make sure you do not have too much wax on the brush. Try wiping it a bit off or shaking it to get some wax off the brush. Also, do not push the brush on the pages.
• Your antique book is ready.

This is a quick method and makes a lot less mess than coffee. You need to be very careful in the technique and clean the area thoroughly so that your kids or pets don’t ingest the left over wax.

Some Tips

1. Use sandpaper to roughen out the edges of the book and to give it a more worn-out look.
2. Slightly burn the edges of the paper using a lighter. Lightly graze the tip of the flame on the edges without bringing the flame too close. Please be extra cautious if you choose to do this. This will give the books a manuscript feel!

Now that you know how to make a book look old without spending too much money and with readily available ingredients. However, if you choose to do any of these DIY ideas, be extra cautious as to not tear the pages while they are wet. Moreover, if you’re using the wax method, don’t try to burn the edge of the pages as the wax can melt or even catch fire that will ruin the book altogether. With a little bit of caution and care, you can easily turn your books into antique and rich!