How to Distress Dollar Store Books with Chalk Paint

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.

Square photo of finished distressed books painted white with chalk paint.

Distress dollar store books with chalk paint to make beautiful decor pieces!

I gave Dollar Tree paperback books a makeover using white chalk paint to make this beautiful stack of books.

Photo of a stack of three distressed books painted with white chalk paint and tied together with green twine, a red bell and a sprig of greenery. Words in black vinyl on the spine say 'let it snow' with a few snowflakes, also in black vinyl.

I added Christmas decorations to mine, but how cute would these books be painted in pastel colors for spring or stacked up to elevate dessert trays for a wedding reception?

Smaller books could also be used to decorate a tiered tray!

At first, I was hesitant to try this DIY on paperback books because I thought the covers would curl up. To my surprise, they came out really well 😉

I used my Cricut Maker to cut the vinyl words and snowflakes to decorate the book spines. If you have a cutting machine and would like to use the snowflake art, you can download the Snowflake SVG file here.

These books take minutes to make and they dry quickly. Check out the supplies list and photos below to see how I made them.

Supplies

  • Paperback books from Dollar Tree
  • Brown kraft paper
  • Mod Podge (I used Matte)
  • Chalk paint
  • Brown acrylic paint
  • A foam applicator brush and a paintbrush
  • An X-Acto (precision knife)
  • Scissors

How to Make Distress Books Using Chalk Paint – 3 Easy Steps

STEP 1: Cover Your Book With Kraft Paper

Start by cutting a piece of kraft paper large enough to cover your book. First, coat the back cover with Mod Podge and smooth kraft paper over top. Finish covering the book the same way.

Mod Podge applied to a book to adhere kraft paper as a step in a DIY Chalk Paint Distressing technique.
Cut kraft paper larger than your book. Use Mod Podge to apply the kraft paper to the cover, spine, and back cover.

STEP 2: Trim

Trim the excess paper using an X-Acto knife or scissors if you prefer.

Cutting away excess kraft paper from a Dollar Tree paperback book before adding white chalk paint for an aging technique.
Cut excess kraft paper using an X-Acto knife.

++++++++

Photo showing a glimpse of eight of 35 ways to repurpose kitchen items.

Related Post


Clean out your kitchen cupboards and check out these super easy DIYs!

Read More: 37 Clever Ways to Repurpose Old Kitchen Items

++++++++

STEP 3: Paint and Decorate

Paint the cover, spine, and back cover of the book with chalk paint. This doesn’t have to be perfect. I think it actually looks better if some of the brown kraft paper shows through.

Painting over kraft paper covered Dollar Tree paperback books with white chalk paint to give books an aged look.

To make the edge of the book look aged, I mixed a very small amount of brown acrylic paint with white chalk paint and lightly dry-brushed it over the edges of the covers and spine with a paintbrush. Photo below.

Brown paint and white chalk paint dry brushed over the edges of a book painted with white chalk paint. Part of a technique to give books a distressed look.
Dry brush technique to apply light brown paint (a small amount of brown acrylic paint mixed with white chalk paint) to the cover and spine edges of the book.

Next, mix brown acrylic paint with water to make a wash. Use a foam brush to go over the three remaining sides of the book (the closed pages) as shown below.

Painting over the edges of a book with a brown acrylic paint wash - DIY aging technique.

Then mix a little white chalk paint with water to make a wash. Use a foam brush and paint over the brown. This will lighten the sides and let hints of brown showing through to give the edges an aged and worn look. See below.

When your books are completely dry, decorate and display them!

Edges of a book distressed with a chalk paint and aging technique.
Closeup of the sides of a book after a white chalk paint wash was applied.

++++++++

Click here to sign up for my weekly newsletter and stay up on the latest!

++++++++

Distress Books with Chalk Paint - Vertical Pinterest Pin to share!

++++++++

Photo showing two pretty scrap books with collage covers made from recycled greeting cards. One is a seaside theme and the other has a spring floral cover with an old vintage bike with flowers in the basket.

Related Post 

Recycle your old greeting cards into something new and useful!

Read More: How to Make Scrapbooks Using Recycled Greeting Cards

More Home Decor DIYs to Try:

++++++++

Advertisement

Craftidly Designs Horizontal Ad for Flower Market Paris SVG.

++++++++

Watch A Video

Link to the full tutorial here –> DIY Mosaic Picture Frame Tray

Leave a Reply

More diyS