| Turning a License Plate Into a Book |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-151 |
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Artist Paula O'Keefe-Lewis explains how to make a book from an old license plate. She got the idea when she kept a journal during a cross-country trip and wanted a unique way to display it. Here's how she did it. Materials:
Old license plate
Metal cutters
Sandpaper
Ruler
Pencil
Hammer
Metal hole punch
Optional: power drill
Construction paper
Scissors
Paper hole punch
Ribbon
- Find an old license plate at a flea market, a garage sale, an auto junkyard or your own basement. They're inexpensive and come in a variety of colors and designs.
- Mark the center of the license plate, and cut it in half crosswise with metal cutters. Sand the cut edges smooth with sandpaper. One half will form the front cover; the other, the back. The cut edges will be on the left side of the book (figure A).
- Punch two holes on the left side of the license-plate halves by hammering a metal hole punch into them. Be sure to line up the two halves so the holes match. Ribbons will be threaded through the holes to hold the book together (figure B).
- Trace around one half of the license plate onto pieces of construction paper to create pages for the book. Cut out the pages (figure C).
- Place the front cover on top of one of the pages, and mark the location of the punched holes with a pencil. Stack the pages together, and punch holes in them with a hole punch.
- Assemble the book by placing the pages between the covers and stringing a piece of ribbon from front to back through the top holes. Tie the ribbon in a knot. Thread a ribbon through the two bottom holes and tie a knot. Glue photos, stickers or stamps onto the pages--or write messages. You may want to use acid-free paper if you'll be adding photos (figure D).
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