Miniature Book Stand and Open Book

 Hello Mini Friends!  I decided that my apothecary needed an old-style book stand and possibly an open book.  I say possibly because I've never made an open book and for some reason couldn't wrap my head around how exactly to do it.  I watched a tutorial or two but was still intimidated.  After my stand was finished, I decided to just jump in and try it.  

I am pleased with the way they turned out!  Let me show you!

I'll show you the process of making the stand first.  I used a dollhouse wooden spindle, chip board four beads and a piece of lace.

These are the cut pieces of chip board.  I layered to pieces for each part for depth and strength.

I sanded the edges with my fingernail file.

Just to help the spindle stay in place I added some pieces to make a frame underneath the top.

I cut the edge off of a piece of lace and also used a piece of embroidery string to go around the bottom of the spindle to clean it up a bit.

She needed a little wear and tear so i scuffed her up a bit.

For the book, I browsed the internet for some book pages that I liked.  I figure I only needed the top pages that were going to show.  I printed some in different sizes and then sprayed them with a clear coat to seal the ink.

I cut two strips of copy paper and then cut them down to size to match the book pages.

I stacked the pieces and folded them all in half.

I used my ice pick to make two holes then used a needle and thread to bind the pages together just like when making a life-sized book.

Next, I let my sewn pages take a good dip in some leftover coffee.

Then while the pages are wet, I used my tweezers to curve and wrinkle the pages.

Next, I let the book dry overnight.  This is the hardest part lol... waiting.

The next morning, she looked like this and is dry and kind of crispy.

I went over the edges with a little dark brown paint to age both the book pages and the colored top pages.  I did cut the apart and trim them before I glued them on top.

I also added a bookmark made of three strands of DMC floss or cross stitch thread.

This is what the back looks like.  I originally made a book cover but didn't like how stiff it made this book look.  I might try something like this again and make it with a cover.

And here she is!  I actually made a second book for this tutorial.  I didn't take any pictures the first time because I wasn't sure my method would work.  

The final measurements are 3 1/4 inches tall by 1 1/2 inches wide.

I think she turned out lovely!  What do you think??

Thanks for visiting!

XOXO ~Laurie