DIY Patriotic Book Display for Silhouette & Cricut

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

 

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD THE FREE SVG FILE

The first thing you’ll need to do is get the free SVG file you’ll use for this project.  I keep all the SVG files I use for the projects I make in my SVG Library.  These SVG files work with Cricut and Silhouette machines, as well as many others.  This library is open to everyone and is free! You can access the library here. Look for the file called Patriotic Book Titles. It will either be listed under the most recent projects/cut files or under the Patriotic category.

STEP 2: PREPARE THE BOOK COVERS

Gather a collection of books in various heights and widths.  You can use anywhere from 3 – 10 books.  Try to avoid books with spines smaller than 3/4″.

 

Once you’ve got your books together, it’s time make covers for them. Card stock works well for smaller books.  For larger books, you can use wrapping paper, butcher paper, or even 24″ sheets of vinyl.

Start by measuring the height of the book (if the book has a paper cover, you can take it off).  My book was 9.25″ tall.  Then, measure the front, back, spine, and add 6″.  So, for this book, I cut a piece of vinyl that was 9.25″ x 21″.

Once you’ve got it cut, fold your material over 3″.

 

Place the flap inside the front cover.

Wrap the material around the book and fold up the flap on the back side. Make a crease so you’ll know where to fold the back flap.

Press the flap down and make a sharp crease.

Place the back flap inside the back cover.  You can use a piece of painters tape to hold the cover in place.

Repeat these steps until all the books have been covered. Use an assortment of reds, blues, and white.

 

STEP 3: PREPARE THE VINYL DESIGN

Open the SVG file in your software program. You might need to ungroup the design so you can separate the titles and the publishers/authors.  You can also create your own custom book titles and authors.

Take the first book and measure the width and height of the spine.  Choose a title and size it to fit with the area of the spine.  You can also add a publisher or author to fit within the space.

My book measured about 2.25″ x 9.25″, so I sized my design to about 2″ x 8.25″. Once you’ve laid out all the book titles are sized them accordingly, decided what color you want each one to be.  Then, you can cut them with your Cricut or Silhouette.

 

Once your machine has finished cutting, weed away the excess vinyl.

Use a weeding tool to pull out the center of the letters.

Cut a piece of transfer tape a little larger than the design.  Place the transfer tape over the vinyl.

Use an application tool to rub over the design. Then, trim off the excess transfer tape and vinyl backing.

Flip the design over and then pull off the vinyl backing.

STEP 3: APPLY VINYL TO THE BOOK

Position the design on the spine of the book.

Once it’s in place, use a scraper and rub over the entire design.

Carefully pull off the transfer tape. Repeat these steps on all of the books.

STEP 4: ADD FINISHING TOUCHES

Arrange your books in an order you like.  Then, temporarily remove the skinniest book.

Flip the books over and tie them together with a piece of rope.

Flip them back over and slide in the book you took out.  This should make the rope nice and tight.

Make a small bow out of the rope.  Add some hot glue on the back of the bow.

Glue the bow onto the rope.

That’s it! Now, just find a shelf or table to display your cute collection of patriotic books.

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