What To Do If You Hate the Book You Are Reading

We've all been there. You've picked up a book with high hopes--it's the latest bestseller, a beloved classic or a friend's passionate recommendation. Yet, as you flip through the pages, you feel a sinking realization: you hate it. Maybe the characters are shallow, the plot drags, or the writing style doesn't resonate. Instead of powering through in misery, it's time to take a step back and reassess. Here's how to handle this situation and make your reading journey more enjoyable.

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Linen and book page canvas

If you have been reading along for awhile, you know that I love cheap art.
But not cheap looking art!

I also love book pages .
Remember this utensil art I did last year?

I took the same idea and made this linen and book page art.

I started with three clearance canvases that cost $3 each.

I made my own mod podge by mixing tacky glue and water (about a 2-1 ratio)
and applied the book pages to the canvas

After I got the book pages on the canvas, this is where the project turned into Science Fair mode.

Remember my printer post?
Well, my brother and sister in law got me an ink jet printer for Christmas and I have been loving it.
I pretty much broke out any tutorial for transferring images I could find.
This one was the best by far!


the graphics fairy

I searched high and low for Citra Solv


With no luck

So I tried making my own wax paper transfer using an image from The Graphics Fairy

It started out o.k. but once I transferred the image it looked like this

Not sure if it was the water I squirted first (like the directions said) or if it didn't like the paper I used, 

but it was a fail

I remembered I had some linen that I bought at Ikea 

So I tried the printing on fabric method and had success!

I literally stared at the printer as it took fabric and printed an image on it.

It was amazing!  

Some spray adhesive later and here is my linen and book page art

I used images I loved so they are a bit random

but I'm a bit random so that's o.k.

This fan is my favorite!

I sort of have a thing for old fans.

So now I need to find a place to hang them.

I'm pretty sure I will call my handy husband in to help!

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sheet music ornament

When I was unloading Christmas decorations I found a half a dozen clear ornaments.  

I immediately thought that I should put sheet music inside of them.  I had just bought vintage books of sheet music at an estate sale for a quarter, so I cut it into strips and rolled the strips up on a pencil.  Then I just stuffed them inside.

I love the very simple finished ornament don't you?

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EAT book page and utensil sign

The idea for this art has been rolling around in my head for awhile now. And actually the project sat half finished on my kitchen counter for days. I love how it turned out though.

I took a few canvases that my daughter had around her room and was doing nothing with. I bribed her with money and bought them off of her. The canvases had flowers on them, so I painted a few coats of cream paint on the canvas first. Then I took some book pages from one of the books in my collection and mod podged them down.

I had a collection of children's silverware (yep, that stuff is the real deal) that is eons old (still had the box) that I found when we moved. I got it out of my husband's great aunts basement when we were preparing her home for her estate sale after her death years ago.

I added the vinyl word EAT to the bottom of one of the canvases (cuz that's what you do with silverware!)

And put them above my pantry door.

I was even pleasantly surprised to see that some scripture was included on the pages I used. Totally random...and totally awesome.

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