Little Library Sign

Does your neighborhood have a little lending library? These are typically little mailboxes that allow you to share books with each other. Hi, it’s Maureen today (A Little Mo Crafty) and I recently was asked to make a sign for an office library book share box. I decided this is the perfect project for the CutCardStock papers and couild be great for back to school!

Start with an 8.5″ by 11″ sheet of Stardream Metallic Sapphire Blue cardstock. The sign will eventually be put into a frame for a display. Determine the lettering for your library sign and corresponding messages you want to share, then size the letters on an electronic cutting machine.

I used Lessebo Pitch Black and Classic Crest Solar White for my letters. Run the letters and the offset shapes through your machine. I chose a chunky font for this. CutCardStock papers always cut so nicely on my machine.

Detach the letters from your mat with a fine tweezers. Additionally, you can also use washi tape to pull the letters up and adhere them in a straight line. Add glue to the backs and attach them with wet glue. I also cut a flourish in Classic Crest Solar White to divide the lettering up a bit.

Choose a display image for your library. I chose a stack of books from the design library that had several color options to layer. Since the sign was in blue, my choices were a cool palette of colors for this project. I used Lessebo Hunter Green, DCS Textured Bonzai Green, Basis Light Blue, DCS Discount Aqua, and Basis Light Yellow.

The outline I initially cut was in gray, but was not vibrant enough for the project, so I cut it again in Lessebo Pitch Black. This image pieced together pretty easily but in the future I would cut them as full layers to avoid all the small pieces. Attach this to a piece of Classic Crest Solar White cardstock. It’s helpful to use runner tape for this since the edges are very fine.

Paper piece the book shapes into place, just like a puzzle. The sticky background makes this easier.

I decided not to add the pages of the books to this shape, and instead went with a 3D look. I used glossy highlights for the pages. Squeeze this into the open spots on the book.

Next, trim the books all around the outer edge of the shape with a detail scissors. Then apply it to the middle of your sign. I used foam to give it a 3D appearance.

Place your lettering on the sign, centering the title around the book shape first. If you have trouble identifying center, mark it with a pencil or use a straight edge. Additionally, you can use washi tape to apply the words on the sign in a straight line.

This project is ready for the library display! You can use it as is or put it in a frame. I love this little project – it’s so eye-popping. It makes me want to go read a book right now, in fact!

Feel free to check out additional projects on the blog or on our Creating With CutCardStock Facebook Fan Group. We’d love to have you join us and share your CutCardStock projects too. See you next time!