from guest contributor: Kerri Cole

My inspiration came from the blog, Jones Design Company. Like me, Emily is willing to pick up a paint brush, rip up carpet, and change up the feel of her home on a whim. I love the freedom of being able to create and try new things knowing that if I don’t like it, I can change it back. Emily’s book page wall looks something like this…

My book page wall was created the day before the crew from 5280 Home Magazine came for a photo shoot – as if there wasn’t enough to do to get ready!  Our home was featured in the summer 2014 issue, and you can see it here. It was so exciting to see the finished product! I created my book page wall so that it could come down easily – kind of a temporary art exhibition, but we loved it so much it has remained up even though the pages have begun to yellow from sunlight and the corners have begun to curl.

I’d love to take you through the process so you can create your own book page wall.

1. PICK YOUR SPACE – I chose an entry stair wall to make a big first impression for my guests. You could choose a powder room (but not near any plumbing fixtures), a kitchen nook, a boring hall, etc. Even using children’s book pages with wonderful drawings in your child’s room would be great!
2. GATHER YOUR MATERIALS – You will need four things: books, drafting dots, an exacto knife and an adhesive tape runner.  Select a book you don’t mind tearing pages out of, it can be hardcover or paperback depending upon the page size you want to use. Since we are a family of four, we each chose our favorite books in paperback to give our wall a more personal feel and then we also had a great story to share!  (These were: Romeo and Juliet, Anna Karenina, Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird) I used round drafting dots because, one, I had them available since I’m an interior designer and need them for my drafting floor plans, and two, they are easy to use and removable.  You can find these at any art, office, or craft/hobby store along with an adhesive tape runner.
3. PREPARE YOUR SUPPLIES – Open the books and break the spine of the book in a couple of places, this helps to make a clean cut with your exacto knife near the spine. Once you have a decent stack of loose pages you are ready to begin. You might consider if you want just text, or if you want to have as many pictures or chapter start pages as you can.  I used a little of both. This adds even more character to your wall by adding these in.
4.  BEGIN! – Starting along the base of the wall, begin by lining up the bottom of the page with the top of the base. Attach each page with a drafting dot at the top. Finish the bottom line and then start on the row above.

You can either line them up so the bottoms are aligned (this works best if your book pages are the same size) or you can stagger the bottoms of the pages as I did. Remember to stand back every once in a while to make sure you are covering your wall and that your book page sides are remaining vertical and not wonky (this is where those removable drafting dots come in handy!)  Keep working up the wall, row by row.

When you get to the top of the wall attach the top of these pages with a strip of the tape from the tape runner on the backside of the page so that you cannot see it.

          5. ENJOY THE OOHS AND AAHS – because that is what your friends will do when they come over and see your amazing handiwork!

Many many thanks to Jessica, Jenna and Jodi for inviting me to be a guest on their fabulous blog! Thinking about doing a book page wall in your home?  We would love to see it!

{images via Jones Design Company and 5280 Home Magazine,  Kerri Cole with The Entertaining Shoppe.com}