Vase Envy: Guest Party Highlight

This sweet little project was linked up to the party last week from Kat at Black Kat's Design  I love the idea of it and wanted you all to see it.

I want to make one of these pretty vases from old books from Sweet Paul. There is a great tutorial here. I was especially impressed with the price tag of this little gem. The book cost me $.49 cents at the thrift store and the little knife was $1 from the Dollar Store. Cute, Thrifty, Easy -- My kind of project!

My version didn't turn out as pretty. I started out with my template, but widened it. Turns out the skinner version would have been better. (The Dilbert book makes me laugh inside. I used to work at a large corporation and swore that Scott Adams sat next to me because my office was so much like what he wrote about.)

This is how my first attempt looked (yes first, as in multiple).I had a bit of trouble. As I cut through the layers of the book I unintentionally started to angle the blade of the knife, leaving some odd angles in the middle. I took the scissors to it and cut small chunks at a time and it looked better.

On my second try I rounded the bottom corner. It still looked like a blob. On my third try I cut the top part on an angle and lopped off a chunk of book. 

Here is how the final version turned out. 

 

Still not very vase like. I had to "fluff" the book up because the pages globbed all together. 

I completed two more to keep the original one company. Remember the rule, decorate in odd numbers! They aren't perfect and I can't keep the tall one glued together in back  (I'll just put that side facing the wall), but I think they turned out like, well, contemporary sculptural pieces of art! Yes, I'm calling my craft project Art. 

I love this! 

It reminds me of the recycled magazine Christmas tree tutorial.  

Thanks Kat for linking to the party.  I may have to try this or fool around with the concept cause it is very cool!