Kathleen Rear

I love book safes! They’re so clever and cool, I love giving them as gifts. It comes as no surprise that I’ve always wanted to learn to make one myself. I’ve lost the link to the site where I got the instructions from (of course) but I’ll do my best to explain.

You will need:
1 Book (at least 2 inches thick)
White Glue
Water
Sponge brush
Parchment paper
Weights (for drying time)
Exacto Knife
Box Cutter
Tweezers
“Stash”

First find a book that is large enough and thick enough to be carved out. Next, mix up a solution of 50% white glue and 50% water.

Saving out a few pages in the front of the book, paint the glue solution onto the outside of the pages of the book. The glue will seep into the book about 1/2 inch and once dry will provide a hard shell to carve into. I glued the back cover of the book to the pages to add stability.

Place a piece of parchment paper between the glued portion of the book and the pages you wish to be loose. Allow to dry 8-24 hours. I weighted my book so the moisture of the glue wouldn’t make the paper expand. (Anyone who’s dropped a book into their bath knows what I’m talking about)

After drying, the pages should be rock hard at the edges and still loose at the center. Pencil a line about a half-inch to an inch in then, carefully cut along that line with an exact-o knife or box knife. I carved it out about an inch. Yes, it makes a giant mess and the corners needed a lot of digging and picking. On retrospect I think I should have maybe gone a little further in before cutting.

Turned out quite nice I must say. Now I have a place for my “stash”… ahem.