Another guest post! Courtesy of Savannah Drake...

Hello friends! I’m Savannah Drake, 19, currently residing in Centerville, IA! I work at Kids World as a Preschool Aide and run the After School program. My job is way too much fun and only enables my creativity to go beyond what it probably should! I am so very excited about being featured on Andie’s blog as I’ve always been a huge fan of her craftiness. My favorite part about my hobby is that I can literally use ANYTHING that most people would throw away. For example: My mom just recently bought this property with an old house, with tons of what you might consider “junk.” I have raided, gutted, and re-gutted this house and come out with tons of treasures to craft with.  Old photo frames, records, books, license plates, EVERYTHING a crafter like me could possibly dream of. 

Several people ask me where I get my ideas for such random art projects. The truth is, my mind is constantly coming up with ideas that I think are probably absolutely nuts, but when tried they turn out pretty neat! I focus on using a lot of Mod Podge, which is basically watered down glue. I like to make my own because it is kind of pricey. So like the description, you basically just add water to glue and you get a less expensive version of the real deal. As material, I collect as much old newspaper, books, photo negatives, and sheet music as I can--anything that looks vintage. If it doesn’t look vintage, I just make a batch of coffee and vintage-ify any paper by directly applying it to the paper with a paint brush! (Good scent, too! J) 

My new favorite craft is my Book Worm Lamp! This is literally so easy but very time consuming. Had I not been so persistent about getting it done in a day, it would have probably taken me much longer. First things first, you will need:

Old book pages

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Yarn (string works fine also, just need something to tie a knot with!)

Any buttons or jewels you decide to bling it up with!

First, you will need to have at least 3-4 book pages stacked one on top of the other. Starting from either the top or bottom, you will begin to fold it like an accordion.  

Now, you will take your yarn and tie it tightly around the middle of your accordion book pages. After securing the knot, cut ‘u’ shapes on the end of each side. This cut will create your flowered look making your book page flower the prettiest it could be! 

 
And now it’s time to open up each end and pull the delicate paper. This can be a difficult task and must be done very carefully. If you rip the paper, it’s fine! With practice you will completely master this and although at first it seems impossible, I promise it becomes very easy. Pull each layer up towards the center creating a fuller look. 

When finished, your two halves will probably not connect, so you will need to apply your hot glue gunning skills! Place a small dot and connect each side together and you will have your almost complete page flower!

Now it gets fun! Dig through your buttons, your jewelry, ANYTHING that could bling up your flower. Hot glue it to the center, and watch as it completely finishes off the look! I have been getting super creative and using peacock feathers, lace, and several various buttons to complete my flowers. Now, apply to whatever you so choose. I adore my lamp but also think it would be fun on photo frames, mirrors, or even on a canvas! The options are endless. 

Hope this tutorial makes sense and that you all get out there and get creative! Stress relief and fun are the only things that can come out of a hobby like this. Remember to enjoy yourself and create something that is one-of-a-kind! Love to all! :)