Last summer I tackled the big project of re-wallpapering the stair room in the Queen Anne Rowhouse, but I never completely finished it. I realized that once the railing was glued in, I wouldn’t be able to remove the bookcases, which meant the shelves needed to be filled and the bookcases glued in before I could go further. Deciding what to put on those shelves permanently was a daunting prospect.
Since then I’ve been collecting little things to go on the shelves, and I finally have enough to move forward.
To make the books, I sized the covers in Photoshop and then sprayed them with UV sealer. After that dried, I did the added step of painting over them with satin varnish — maybe overkill, but since the books are going to be glued in for eternity I wanted to make sure the covers were protected. I glued the covers over pieces of wood, some with “gilt” edges (made with a gold Sharpie) and some with “paper” edges (antique white paint).
Of course, when the books are set up on the shelf, you can’t even see the covers! I glued batches of books together before placing them on the shelves.
Emily is a freelance writer, miniaturist, and adventure game enthusiast.
