DIY Christmas Decor: Upcycle Old Books with Dollar Tree Ornaments

Are you ready to transform old books into festive Christmas decor? Join me on this fun, budget-friendly Dollar Tree craft adventure! Today, we are creating gorgeous, upcycled book ornaments that look truly high-end. While store-bought decorations carry a hefty price tag, a touch of creativity and simple Dollar Tree supplies is all you need. Get ready to add instant whimsy and vintage charm to your home as we save those old books from the discard pile. Gather your supplies, unleash your creativity, and prepare to be amazed at the beautiful transformation that awaits!

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How Do I Find Old Books To Recycle or Upcycle?

I love vintage and old books. I have several that I would never use for a recycling project. However, many books are discarded and sent to landfills when they are no longer useful.

I find many books with broken spines or missing pages at thrift stores. Most are sold for less than 50 cents each. My local Salvation Army Thrift Store has a huge bin of old books priced at 10 for $1.00.

If you don’t want to use an old book, you can use a newspaper or magazine print for this project.

Big Christmas Ornaments from Dollar Tree

Don’t you just love Dollar Tree? I’m always finding items that can be upgraded to give a high-end look to a Dollar Tree craft.

This year, I grabbed several of these big ornament balls without a clue what I might do with them. However, I knew they would disappear fast from the store, and I might find a use for them.

Upcycle Old Book Page Christmas Ornaments

Inspiration sparked as I wanted something new to add to the garland above my kitchen sink, so the Dollar Tree craft project began.

I would use some old book pages to create unique big Christmas ornaments to hang on the garland.

Supplies

So, let’s gather the supplies needed to make your fun ornaments.

• Dollar Tree Big Ornament Balls 5-inch
• Old Book
• Hot glue gun
• Finger Protectors
• Scissors
• Optional – Elmer’s glue
• Optional – Fine Glitter
• Optional – Small Paint Brush

Upcycle Old Book Pages

To begin, determine a design for your upcycled big Christmas ornaments.

I used a petal design cut from the old book and attached it to the ornament balls.

Cut a template of your design from some heavy scrap paper such as junk mail. Then, trace the design onto the old book page.

Next, stack several pages together. Cutting the petals can be tedious, so I prefer to cut as many as possible simultaneously.

Use small, sharp scissors to cut the petals. You will also need to cut a circle approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter to attach to the bottom of the big ornament ball.

Determine the exact center at the bottom of the ball and use hot glue to attach the circle.

Add Petals to the Oversized Christmas Ornament

Now, you are ready to begin adding the petals. Begin at the bottom, and using hot glue, attach the rounded side of the petal to the circle you just attached. You will also want to add hot glue to the other flat end and press it to the ornament. Allow each petal to overlap, covering the ball ornament completely as you go. Be sure to wear the finger protectors for this project.

This is the only round that you will attach both ends of the petal to the ornament.

For the next round, attach the flat end of the petal to the ornament and allow the rounded end to overlap the previous row. Continue overlapping from the sides slightly to cover the ball completely.

Work upward from the ornament’s bottom until you reach the hanger hook. If any areas allow the original ornament color to be exposed, fill in with additional petals.

Simply lift the petal, slide another one underneath, and secure it with hot glue.

Finished Old Book Big Christmas Ornaments

The large Christmas ornaments are now adorned with old book page petals and resemble nothing like the original Dollar Tree ball ornaments.

You are ready to attach a ribbon and hang it from a tree or from a garland. Or wait, could they be improved upon?

Optional Enhancements for the Dollar Tree Craft

Although I love how the upcycled old book page big Christmas ornaments look, I decided I wanted a little sparkle over my kitchen window.

So here’s what I did to enhance the Dollar Tree craft. Begin by preparing a surface with wax paper to catch the glitter. Now, find a small paintbrush and use the handle to add drops of glue to each petal on the ornament.

Finally, sprinkle with a fine glitter that will adhere to the glue dots. The glitter only sticks to the glue, so shake to remove excess glitter.

The old book ornaments now have a little extra sparkle to capture the holiday lights.

How To Decorate With Big Christmas Ornaments?

The big Christmas Ornaments are a fun Dollar Tree craft idea, but what will you do with them?

They look amazing on the Christmas tree, attached to a garland, or hanging from a pegboard.

Because they are larger than most ornaments, they are statement pieces and will add a festive feel wherever they are placed.

As planned, I have started adding mine to the garland above my kitchen window. They really add to the rustic ambiance I have planned for this area.

Check out my Curated Christmas Home Tour and see how the garland looks.

Updated Decorating Ideas

First, the old book page ornaments look great after being stored for a year. I’ve been stagging them around the farmhouse and deciding how to use them for the second year. Let me know what you think.

I love them on the banister garland, and they are adorable added to brass candlesticks on the mantel.

Video

Related Articles

• How To Turn a Dollar Tree Christmas Tree into A Faux Vintage Tinsel Tree
• Vintage Inspired DIY Christmas Bells From Dollar Tree Ornaments
• Upcycle Old Books For A Magical Christmas Village

If you enjoyed this budget-friendly tutorial, check out 5 Easy Dollar Tree Ornament Makeovers for fun ways to create boutique-worthy Christmas decor.

Resources

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