Getting Started with Altered Books
What is an Altered Book?
An altered book is an art object created from an existing book/novel. We use the printed pages of the book as our canvas and apply mixed media techniques to transform the book into an art piece. Here’s a photo of from an Altered Book Sculpture workshop I ran last year at Hurstville Library.
Why would someone make an altered book?
People create altered books for a variety of reasons, often connected to personal expression, creativity, and the joy of transformation. Here’s a break down of why you might benefit from trying altered book practice.
Creative Outlet
Altering a book provides a unique canvas for artistic expression. It allows people to work with different mediums—collage, paint, writing, and drawing—all in one project. It’s a way to tap into creativity and experiment with mixed media techniques.
Personalisation
Altered books allow for a highly personalised, intimate experience. You can embed personal stories, quotes, photos, or memorabilia, making the book a deeply reflective and personal object. The process can also be therapeutic, providing an opportunity for self-exploration or emotional release.
Recycling and Upcycling
Many people enjoy the idea of giving new life to old or discarded books. Rather than throwing them away, they can transform them into something beautiful, turning the book into a piece of art while practising sustainability.
Mindfulness and Relaxation
The process of altering a book can be calming and meditative. It involves slow, thoughtful actions—painting, cutting, pasting, and creating—which can help reduce stress and create a mindful art making experience. It can be an immersive way to focus on the present moment as it is a tactile experience engaging different senses e.g. sound, sight, touch and smell. Make yourself a cup of tea while you create and that’s all of your main senses engaged! A side of effect of experiencing absorption in the present moment is relaxation. So you may find yourself feeling quite relaxed after engaging in art making if your intention is to do it mindfully.
Narrative Transformation
An altered book provides a way to rewrite or transform the original narrative. You may choose to build on or completely change the original story, creating new meanings and contexts. It’s a powerful method of visual storytelling.
Challenge and Exploration
Altering a book challenges you to work within existing boundaries, such as the book’s layout, illustrations, and text. This pushes creative limits and encourages experimentation. Every page presents a new opportunity to explore different ideas or themes.
Meaning Making
Many altered books are made from books that hold sentimental value—an old novel, a children’s book, or a travel guide. Transforming these into art gives new meaning to objects that already hold personal memories or significance.
Creating Something Unique
No two altered books are the same. People who value originality and uniqueness appreciate the fact that altering a book results in a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Altered books offers an opportunity for self expression and self exploration that can be so joyful!
It’s fun & kind of rebellious
Books are often seen as sacred objects—symbols of knowledge, culture, and intellectual heritage. Altering them, whether by cutting, painting, or gluing over the text, can feel like breaking a rule – we are breaking the rules! Books are designed as a final product, a storage unit for facts, history and stories. Books are an authority on a topic, so for some, it might even seem "wrong" or "destructive" to do anything other than preserve them. When altering books, we try to reframe the actions as transforming rather than destroying. We are also embracing impermanence and change by pushing the book beyond its original design and purpose. Once you can let go of the conditioning around books you may even find creating in your altered book a sacred and special practice. So go on, let your tempt that inner rebel out and let it express itself!
It’s an accessible creative practice
Materials for altered books practice is low cost and doesn’t require specific skills. It's a great place to try out learning mixed media techniques and stumble into creative discoveries through experimentation. The more you practise, the more you learn and want to learn. It offers an ongoing practice that you don’t have to finish in one sitting and you can chip away at it. I personally love that I can pop my altered book in my bag with a pencil case of supplies (scissors, glue, markers) and create art while I’m on public transport or waiting for appointments etc. This also gives me a moment to check in with myself during the day and an alternative option to doom scrolling…
Altered Book Sculpture and Block out poetry © Mary-Helen Daly
Getting started
Creativity starts when we have art supplies in our hands! Below is a big list of materials for altered book making. While you don’t need all of these materials, but as you get into your practice you’ll notice you get a little hungry for more materials to experiment with.
Art & Craft Materials:
Stapler, masking tape, washi tape, painters tape
Scissors or craft knife
Markers, pens, or coloured pencils
Acrylic paints or watercolours
Brushes, sponges, and palette knives
Glue (Mod Podge, PVA, or glue sticks)
Collage materials (magazine clippings, photos, decorative paper)
Stamps, stencils, and ink pads
Ephemera (ribbons, fabric, dried flowers, tickets, etc.)
Gesso (for priming pages)
Choosing Your Book
Don’t forget your book!
You can use any book, but I’d highly recommend not using a big book. Stick to 150-200 pages, paper back or hard cover. Check out your loacl thrift or charity shop. They always looks of reasonably priced books that you won’t feel too bad about giving a new life!
Avoid books with very glossy or brittle paper, as they are harder to work with.
When you are getting started avoid choosing a book you have emotional attachment to or that you want to read. This may prevent you from stepping into the process of transforming your book as a value has been placed on the book.
You’ve got your book and your art supplies. What now?
It’s time to start altering your book. If you’ve joined one of my Altered Book workshops, you’ll have A LOT of ideas of where to start.
If you haven't, here’s some ideas:
Collage
What it is: Gluing images, papers, or other flat objects onto the book’s pages.
How to use it: Create layers of visual interest by using magazine clippings, decorative paper, fabric scraps, or photos.
Gesso Priming
What it is: Applying gesso (a white primer) to prepare book pages for further work.
How to use it: Coat pages with gesso to give them a sturdier surface for painting, drawing, or writing.
Painting
What it is: Using paints, such as acrylics or watercolours, to alter pages.
How to use it: Add backgrounds, abstract designs, or full-blown illustrations to the pages. Paint over the text to create a clean slate.
Stenciling
What it is: Using stencils to apply shapes or patterns to the page.
How to use it: Place a stencil over the page and apply paint, ink, or texture paste to create repeating patterns or shapes.
Fold-Outs and Pop-Ups
What it is: Creating interactive elements like fold-outs or pop-up images.
How to use it: Fold extra paper and attach it to the book to create layers that unfold, or use paper engineering techniques to create pop-up elements.
Sewing
What it is: Stitching materials or embellishments onto the book pages.
How to use it: Use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to sew fabric, buttons, or decorative stitching directly onto the page for added texture.
Pocket or Envelope Insertion
What it is: Adding pockets, envelopes, or other inserts to hold small objects or notes.
How to use it: Glue an envelope or pocket to a page to create a space for storing small memorabilia like tickets or photos.
Writing and Doodling
What it is: Adding handwritten text, doodles, or sketches on the book’s pages.
How to use it: Use pens, markers, or pencils to add personal thoughts, quotes, or drawings directly onto the book.
Text Alteration
What it is: Modifying the book’s existing text by highlighting, blocking out, or circling certain words.
How to use it: Block out parts of the text or highlight words to create a new poem, story, or message.
Decoupage
What it is: Sealing materials like paper or fabric onto the book pages using glue (often Mod Podge).
How to use it: Cover the entire page or portions of it with glued-on elements and seal with more glue for a smooth, glossy finish.
Inking Edges
What it is: Applying ink to the edges of the book’s pages for a distressed or aged effect.
How to use it: Use an ink pad or sponge to rub ink along the edges of the pages to create a vintage or shadowed look.
Embedding 3D Objects
What it is: Adding small three-dimensional objects to the book.
How to use it: Glue items like buttons, beads, keys, or fabric flowers onto the pages for extra dimension and texture.
Texture Paste
What it is: Applying texture paste to create raised patterns or designs on the page.
How to use it: Spread texture paste through a stencil or directly onto the page to add thick, raised textures, which can be painted over once dry.
Believe it or not, this list is not exhaustive! There are SO MANY ways to work with altered books and you will naturally discover new ideas when you are working in your book. There are lots of wonderful YouTube Channels devoted to altered books, junk journals and scrap booking.
Tips & Tricks:
Choose the right book: If you are finding you are battling your book to create art in it, it might not be the right type to work with. Try a different one!
Work in stages: start a page, then move onto something else. If you are using paint, let it dry fully before adding more layers or working on other pages
Peg your pages: Use pegs or bull dog clips to hold your pages while you work. There’s nothing more annoying than books snapping shut while you are working!
Rip out pages: You’ll also need to remove pages because once you’ve started to alter your book it will start to get quite bulky. So logistically we actually need to rip out pages to create space in the book, otherwise it won’t close. This is also a great step to take if you are feeling hesitant to get started. Don’t throw away the pages, store them so you can use these pages for other art and craft activities!
Use a variety of materials: Use pens, markers, watercolour, acrylics, ink, or even coffee to add colour and design elements. Altered books thrive on mixed media experimentation.
Work with the book’s content: work with the parts of the book that are meaningful or interesting to you. Think of it as a collaboration with the book, it will love you for it.
Flatten your book in between uses: As you add layers, your book might start to bulge. To keep it from warping, press it under a heavy object like a stack of books or a weight when you’re not working on it. And if needed, rip out pages.
Embrace experimentation and imperfection: it's a creative practice, not an assignment you are being marked on. Play, experiment and enjoy your time.
Altered book = Inspiration Vault: I like to think of my altered books as a place to store creative ideas of things I’d like to revisit in other creative formats. If I’m ever feeling creatively stuck, I flip through my altered book and there is always something there that will spark my creativity.
I hope you enjoy getting started with Altered books!
Follow my eventbrite so you can jump into one of my workshops!
Mary-Helen Daly
Transpersonal Art Therapist & Counsellor
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