How to Make a Book Vase - Hidden Flower Display in 7 Steps

Grab two or three hardcover books from the thrift store. Different colors and sizes look best - the variation makes the finished row feel collected rather than matched. Open each book and run an exacto blade down the inner spine just inside the front and back covers, slicing the page block free from the cover.

Pull every page out one section at a time. Hardcovers are usually glued in signatures of 16 pages, so the pages will come out in clumps. Take your time so you don't tear the cover. Save the pages in a clean pile - you'll use some of them for the collage piece in step 4.

Pick a frame with as much ornate detail on the front as you can find - that detail is what carries the whole piece. Flip the frame over and cut the cardboard backing free. Use kitchen pliers to pull every nail out one at a time. Save the cardboard backing; recycle the glass.

Apply a base coat of white craft paint to the artwork canvas inside the frame and across the entire frame itself. A slightly see-through coat is fine - this is just primer. Let it dry, then dip a damp sponge in gold craft paint and dab it across the frame. The sponge gives partial coverage so the gold and white blend into an antique look. Cover every edge, including the sides and inner lip, since the frame may sit on a shelf later.

This is the trick that makes the whole project work. Lay one of your foam kneeling pads from the dollar store flat on the table and put a book cover on top of it. Pull the cover open just slightly so the spine has a little play, then trace and cut the foam to match the inside footprint of the cover with the exacto blade.

Hot-glue each foam piece into the matching book cover - but only glue the bottom two-thirds. The unglued top third stays as a loose slot. That slot is where the flowers will slide in later to create the hidden vase illusion. If a book is thicker than a single foam layer, stack two layers and glue them together first.

Take the small 5x7 picture frame from the dollar store and pop the back off. Cut a piece of decorative gift bag or scrapbook paper to match the frame backing - this acts as your base layer. Lay it flat.

Grab a handful of the pages you saved in step 1. Skip pages with prominent photos; pick text-heavy pages so the typography reads. Brush Mod Podge onto the back of each page with a foam brush, then press the page onto the backing in a layered, slightly overlapping arrangement. Let some pages sit caddywompus on purpose - that crooked layering is what gives the collage dimension. When the backing is fully covered, brush a top coat of Mod Podge across everything to seal.

Most thrift books have vibrant, modern-looking lettering on the spine. To match the vintage library aesthetic, knock that lettering down with a sanding block. Work in light passes across the spine and edges until the titles fade and the corners look worn.

Pay attention to the corners and top edges too - those are the spots where a real used book would show the most wear. As you sand, surface color often shifts: a bright red book turns to a soft dusty purple as the topcoat comes off, and that natural color shift looks better than any paint trick.

Pick up the painted frame from step 2 and the small framed collage from step 4. Hot-glue small wooden cubes against the back of the ornate frame near each inside corner. Those cubes lift the artwork off the wall so the piece reads as three-dimensional from the side.

Hot-glue a strand of battery-powered mini twinkle lights around the inside perimeter of the ornate frame, working all the way around the edge. Tuck the battery pack behind the frame where it won't be visible. Press the book-page collage from step 4 into the center of the frame with hot glue, seating it flat against the cardboard backing.

This is where the trick reveals itself. Hot-glue each hollowed book onto the bottom edge of the frame, lined up in a row like a tiny bookshelf. Use a generous bead of glue along the side of each book and press for a slow count of ten before letting go.

Snip individual stems from your lavender or purple florals. Push each stem down into the foam slot at the top of a book - the unglued third creates a hidden pocket that holds the flowers upright. Fluff the stems out like a real bouquet so the bundle looks full from the front. Anchor a small LED candle on top of one of the books, and balance the final piece with a small ceramic pitcher or other thrift find if you have one. Flip the twinkle lights on and the build is done.