Hollowed Book

Since seeing Shawkshank Redemption when I was a kid, I'd always wanted to make a hollowed book. I find it's a perfect gift, that you can easily customise depending on what it may hold, as well as who you're giving it to.

Things you'll need:

✘ Sharp knife with spare blades

     (i found an x-acto knife works well)

✘ Hard cover book

✘ Paintbrush

✘ Craft glue

✘ Ruler

✘ Pencil

 1. Flip a couple of pages into your book and choose the last full page you'd like to keep. Once you have it, turn this page, and the next one over. The next facing page will be your cutting page. ie. You'll have your desired last full page, a spare page, THEN your first page to cut. We'll come back to the spare page later.

2. Mix your glue with a little bit of water to make it more transparent. Pressing down on your book, glue along the outside of the pages.





 
3. Once glued, it'll need half an hour (or less) to dry. Place something heavy on top to keep the pages firmly compacted. You may want to put a "spacer" on top of the first glued page. I used an old book. Once glue is dry, run your finger along the pages to ensure it's held together well enough.

4. On your first glued page, mark out your cutting guides. I did mine 2.5cm in.

5. Using your ruler, cut along your border. After the first few pages are out, you wont need the ruler to guide you.

 

6. Repeat this process until you have either cut as deep as you'd like, or perhaps until you come across the perfect page to stop. When making this book, I coincidentally lifted up my cut pages, to find this message below. Of course I had to leave it there, as it was too perfect.

7. Using your glue mix, glue along the inside edges, pressing down to keep them firm. Also do a thin layer on the facing page so as to seal it a bit. Using a spacer again, place something heavy on top and wait for it to dry.

Personally, i like to use some of my cut out pages to put in a message on the base (plenty of blank spaces to be found, and looks great using the same book paper)... you could really put in anything here, my next one will have old comics on the inside.

8. Lastly, you have your spare page at the front. Keep this until last, as you may find that after cutting out all the pages, you have some nips, or dirty marks on the top cut-out page. Glue along the edge and press your spare page down. Again, place something heavy on top and wait for it to dry. Once dry, hollow it out, and you're done!