Woman Rolls Old Book Pages to Create a One-of-a-Kind Wreath
Damaged books do not have to end up in the trash. Pages that have separated from the binding can become craft material, with the printed text providing a pattern that needs no paint or added finish.
Dee from Our Clover House used old book pages to build a wreath from dozens of narrow paper rolls. She cut the pages into sections, wrapped them around a wooden skewer, and grouped the finished rolls with twine before attaching them to the wreath form.
Dozens of paper rolls cover the base, creating a dense ring with visible text running in different directions. Faux flowers can be added at the end for fall, while leaving them off keeps the book-page wreath suited to other seasons.
Cut the book pages into workable sections
Scissors separate the printed pages into smaller sections that can be rolled without creating tubes that overwhelm the wreath form. Pages with text from edge to edge work well because the print remains visible across most of each finished roll.
The project calls for old pages along with a wreath form, hot glue, scissors, twine, and a wooden skewer. The original instructions suggest using damaged or aged books that are no longer readable.
Use a skewer to keep each roll narrow
Wooden skewers provide a simple guide for forming the paper. Placing one near the edge gives the page a consistent center as it wraps around the wood, which helps produce narrow tubes instead of loose curls.
Each section does not need to match the next down to the millimeter. Small differences in length become useful once the pieces are placed around the wreath because the ends can extend beyond the form at different points.
Roll the paper into tight tubes
Printed sides remain exposed as the paper wraps around itself, turning flat encyclopedia or book pages into firm cylinders. The source instructs the maker to roll each page into a tube and secure the loose end with a small amount of hot glue.
Keeping the center opening small gives each piece enough structure to hold its shape. It also preserves the printed surface, which becomes the main decorative finish once the wreath is assembled.
Make enough rolls to cover the entire form
Coverage takes far more paper tubes than the finished wreath might suggest. The pile shows why this is not a project to make with only a handful of leftover pages: the pieces overlap and sit in several directions rather than forming a single flat row.
Different lengths also prevent the outer edge from looking like a precise circle. Some tubes can project farther from the form while shorter pieces fill spaces closer to the center.
Tie several rolls together with twine
Twine turns individual paper tubes into small bundles before they reach the wreath. The rough fiber also breaks up the repeated black-and-cream print without covering much of the paper.
Bundles can contain pieces of different lengths, leaving staggered ends at both sides. That variation becomes more noticeable once many groups sit beside one another.
Build coverage around the wreath form
The wreath starts to take shape once the bundles are spaced around the circular base. Dried moss appears between the paper in this stage, though the creator notes that the moss is optional and that she decided afterward it was not needed.
Hot glue holds the rolled pages to the form. Instead of lining them up in a uniform ring, the pieces can cross, overlap, and point toward different angles to conceal the structure underneath.
Keep adding rolls until the base disappears
More layers change the wreath from a visible craft form into a dense arrangement of printed paper. The instructions call for continuing around the ring until the form is covered, with changes in roll direction and page size used to create depth.
Leaving the center open keeps the wreath shape clear despite the number of pieces around it. From farther away, the rolled pages read as a textured material first, while the individual lines of text become visible when viewed up close.
Add flowers without covering the book-page texture
Orange, rust, and deep red faux flowers turn the neutral paper wreath into fall decor without changing its construction. Since the flowers are an optional final addition, the same book-page base could also remain undecorated or receive different accents for another season.
Placing the flowers on one section leaves most of the rolled pages exposed. The result still reads as a book-page wreath rather than a floral wreath with paper hidden underneath.
We love the idea of turning printed pages into a wreath. Would you try it with old book pages, newspapers, or another type of paper?
Image credits go to Dee from Our Clover House.