Six years ago, Byculla resident Shikha Jain didn’t expect to become a book artist but now has made it a profession. Jain, who goes by @shik_little_bookart, on Instagram has over 6,000 followers and makes gifts from dated books. She creates artworks that seem sculptural but rather just play on the art of paper folding. “The quality of the pages matters the most. The book and binding needs to be strong,” she says. So, if you’ve been slacking during the lockdown, here are three DIY options she suggests you try out.
Crytallised wonder
“This one will give you a true Pirates of the Caribbean feel. It isn’t a big trend in India yet, as very few artists understand book art, but is all the rage abroad. The end result is a hard object that looks like it’s 100 to 200 years old,” Jain says. Start off with a large container. Make a saturated solution of boiled water and borax. Immerse your book in it and arrange the pages in the way you want by using chopsticks. Through the day, you will slowly watch it crystallise and once it’s done, pull it out of the solution and keep for drying.
Log on to stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com (for detailed instructions)
All cards on the table
This project is a deconstructed version of the candle holder. Measurements in this craft are very important because even a point difference in folding makes the entire piece look uneven,” Jain says. So, all you have to do here is to keep folding each page into half until you have a fan-shaped view. Then, you can simply tuck your business cards in. And if you do need to peak into the contents of the book at any time, just unfold it back again!
Log on to the3rsblog.wordpress.com
A space for flames
This bibliogami project can be completed in under an hour. It is important to use battery-operated candles instead of wax ones since paper is flammable. After removing the spine, a small 2×2 cm square needs to be cut at the bottom edge and each page needs to be folded at an angle. Eventually, the book will resemble a cylindrical shape. Stick the ends with glue to bind.
Log on to Alison Russell’s Crochet and Craft Channel on Youtube
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