Friday, April 15, 2011

Faux-Vintage Children's Books

I think the smartest move Target stores ever made was creating the Dollar Section and putting it right by the entrance so you HAVE to walk past it . . . and I can NEVER walk past without taking a peek at what’s there!  












Today I found these adorable little Easter board books so I grabbed three of them.  Having seen so many cute vignettes using real vintage children’s books (which I’ve been unable to find), I decided these would be perfect to make my own!
They're just tiny board books, each measuring about 4"X4".  They started out like this, all shiny and new looking.


I started by taking sand paper to them, scratching, dulling and tearing the edges.  I even peeled back some of the bindings and corners, tearing away the cover to reveal the cardboard.


















Next I used some of my favorite “distressing” rubber stamps to add more of that “worn”, “well-loved” look.  Then, using a sponge dauber, I rubbed a dark, tan ink over the edges where the cardboard was which added to that old, vintage look.


I added some vintage-looking ribbons around each book and then decided to add these little tags I made.  The process is explained a bit more thoroughly in my Vintage Easter Prints post but basically, this is what you do. 


Find your images (I just googled “vintage Easter pictures”), copy and paste them into a document.  Adjust them to the size that will fit on your pre-cut tags and print them out on plain paper.  Then, using a small amount of adhesive, attach the tags OVER the image and run the paper through the printer once more and they’ll print right on the tag.


        




I’m thinking this would fun to do for ANY holiday!  Can you picture little Christmas or Halloween books?  But there’s still time to do these for Easter – simple and only took me about half an hour to do all three!  



47 comments:

  1. I am also a sucker for the $1 section! What a cute idea you had. Love the vintage appeal!

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  2. oh wow these are sooo cute, you are so creative!!

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  3. Aren't you clever? Love the idea, thank you for sharing that inspiration. I'm your follower now.
    Have a fantastic weekend!
    XXX Ido

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  4. So cute! Who doesn't love Beatrix Potter? And you are so right about Target's dollar section. Best aisle in the whole store. LOL!

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  5. What a wonderful idea! I will have to go do some shopping.
    Thanks for sharing!!

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  6. we never would have thought about doing this - this is so adorable - and those tags! How easy is that :) What a great idea - love it!!
    Have a great weekend!
    Karla & Karrie

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  7. wow Lauren, I thought you really had some beautiful vintage books..good job..these are awesome..
    Shirley

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  8. hiya lauren , what a gorgeously vintagey girly idea xHmmmm thinking cap on now for my granddaughter , tfs
    xmaggiex

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  9. LOVE them! Truly look well worn!

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  10. Awesome idea!! They really look vintage!! LOVE it!

    Big TX Hugs,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

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  11. LOVE this idea!!! So smart! They must look gorgeous!! Fabulous job!
    I'm glad you could visit my giveaway!! Good luck!!
    xxDaniella

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  12. That is a very wonderfully creative idea. I too love the old vintage books, but it seems like they are always way more expensive than what I want to pay. Thanks for posting!!
    Erin
    alittlesomething2.blogspot.com

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  13. These books are *so* adorable.... Why didn't I think of that-- so smart!
    <3 Target's $1 spot : )
    AOK

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  14. We are equally drawn to the $$ bins at Target! This is such a fabulous idea, and I love that they are QUICK to make as well. I think I may just be heading to Target in the morning! Best of luck in the GiveAway this weekend! -diane

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  15. Lauren, the books and tags are so cute! I love how you distressed them.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Pam

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  16. That dollar section is so addictive! I am loving those books.

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  17. You are such a creative lady! How do you come up with all of these brilliant ideas? Thanks again for linking up. laurie

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  18. I love the $1 section too! This is such a cute idea and I love how the books turned out.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  19. It‘s so nice that I found your blog about your link on 'Under the Table and Dreaming'. Of course I’ve scrolled a little and like what I see. Now I’m your new follower! ;)

    Take care
    Tine

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  20. What a great idea -- yours are so pretty!

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  21. So cute! And I'm with you . . . I can't resist the $1 section! I always come away with a few treasures :-)

    Rachel @ Maybe Matilda

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  22. love the $1 section too! this is very cute!!

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  23. Oh that is super cute! I thought they were old. Very nice idea. Thanks for linking it up!
    Sherry

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  24. What a great idea! Love the books and the tags. So clever! Come visit our blog-we're having a giveaway this week.

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  25. love this! and love the Target dollar section :). happy day to you!

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  26. these are adorable! I love how you took them and made them look old!! Thanks so much for linking up to Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings.. www.ladybug-blessings.com

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  27. I love it! What a wonderful idea. Thanks so much for the tip with the tags! Love it! You did a great job. Your newest follower. Hope you can visit me sometime soon!

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  28. Such a great idea! So simple yet so pretty! Thanks for the great directions!

    Love your blog and am your newest follower.
    Buffie
    http://scrappingwithbuffie.blogspot.com/

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  29. How adorable these are!!! Thank you for sharing...gonna run to Target tomorrow, love that dollar section....hugs...cleo

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  30. I'm going to try to find some of these! I collect children's books and I think these would be fun to make! Thanks for letting us in on a great tip! ♥

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  31. Oh my goodness! I have a three year old little girl and I so want to copy this idea! Too bad I live three hours from the nearest Target! I love, love, love these!

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  32. You are simply the smartest one! I love these little books and how you've ages them. Genius!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  33. this is amazing girl! i love the dollar section too and i almost bought those books but you made them a million times better! happy wednesday! {here form lollipops}

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  34. Hi Lauren,
    Love, love, love this idea! They turned out absolutely beautiful...Cannot wait to give it a try. Oh, and thanks for the tip on printing the tags...genius! Have a wonderful Easter.

    Hugs and Kisses,
    ♥Ana

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  35. Lauren....these are amazing!! Thanks for linking them....I knew it was you before I clicked on the link! :)

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  36. Genius I tell you! I have to go to Target ASAP! **Tip**Depending on the size of your tags you can print directly on them using your printer. Just set up the printer to print on the exact tag size!

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  37. So very clever and over-the-top cute! My feeling is that if you are a crafter, it's always smart to surround yourself with craftier and smarter people, that's why I'm now a follower. You can follow me back if you'd like to!
    CAS

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  38. Brilliant and adorable!! I'll be featuring you on Saturday!
    www.acreativeprincess.blogspot.com

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  39. These are precious! What a great idea and perfect for Easter or as you said, any holiday!Thanks so much for sharing!
    Sharlotte

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  40. I love this idea...I looove childrens books :)

    Thanks for linking up to "20 Below Thursday"! :)

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  41. Very cute idea.. I thought they were vintage before I read your blog. I am a new follower.

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  42. Yes, the dollar section at Target is my favorite, too! Really appreciate you sharing this great post with us at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop.

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