When I saw this idea featured in Country Living magazine last year, I thought it looked like a pretty fun (and clever) idea. It seemed easy enough (and 0h-so-cute), but I’m going to be honest: This little project was NOT as easy at it appeared. In fact, I think the CL article had it listed in just 3 or 4 steps… They conveniently forgot to talk to the person who actually did the cutting with the X-Acto knife about the extra step: Tending to your blistered fingers! Maybe it was just my unskilled X-Acto hands (I’m a little out of practice since college), but if you’re interested in doing this project, I thought I’d warn you up front.
If you still think this project looks fun, here ya go!
You will need:
Glue (I went old school Elmer’s)
Small foam brush
A book that’s thicker than your remote control
About 10 inches of grosgrain ribbon
1. Flip to the back of the book and generously apply glue on the back book cover. Using the foam brush, evenly spread the glue. Close the book to “paste” the last page to the back inside book cover.
2. Holding the pages of the book together, add glue and use the foam brush to evenly coat the edges (all three sides).
3. Open the front of the book and trace your remote’s outline with a pencil.
4. Using an X-acto knife, carefully cut away the pages of the book in the shape of the remote’s silhouette.
(repeat this process – for days if necessary – this part won’t be fun – just keep shaving away!)
5. Using hot glue (or the Elmer’s), adhere the grosgrain ribbon to the base of the hollowed out space. This will help you “lift” the remote out of the hole you’ve dug for it.
6. See how nicely it fits in the opening? This part was NOT easy… just keep testing the remote and carving more paper from the sides of the hollow space.
There you have it… a hollowed out book to hide your remote! It was more work than I expected, but it was also kind of mindless to do while watching tv, and I like the end result!
