Post Four: Book Vase and Paper Roses

Book Vase and Paper Roses

After making my mini zine, I wanted to try something that blended creativity, recycling, and storytelling. This led me to create a book vase with handmade paper roses, using old book pages to form a literary-themed floral arrangement.

This project explored paper as an artistic and expressive medium giving books a second life by transforming words and stories into something visually poetic.

Supplies Used

Hardcover book
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Paper trimmer or craft knife
Pencil and ruler
Circular template (cup or lid)
Scissors
Ribbon (optional)
Faux greenery or filler flowers

Step 1: Preparing the Book

I started by opening the book in the center and then measuring and marking where the middle of the book is. Using the utility knife, I cut across in increments of six pages. Those pages became the rolled “vase” tubes and flower petals.

Step 2: Creating the Rolled Vase Tubes

Using the loose pages, I rolled each sheet into a tube shape and secured it with hot glue. I kept repeating this until I had enough tubes to line the book’s inner fold. After arranging and gluing them side-by-side, I wrapped a ribbon around the middle to hold everything in place.

Step 3: Making Paper Roses

For the flowers, I traced circles on book pages and cut them into petal shapes — about five to six per flower. I curled each petal layer with a toothpick at the edges, gradually building a rose shape. A small rolled strip formed the inner bud. This process was simple but rewarding, and each rose turned out unique depending on the text placement and curve of the paper.

Step 4: Assembling the Arrangement

When the book vase was ready, I arranged the handmade paper roses along with faux florals and added greenery for volume. The mix of neutral book pages and soft pink blossoms created a vintage-inspired balance.