by Nikki Phipps

Created on: September 20, 2010   Last Updated: September 21, 2010

Jungle Safari in a Book

If there are any scrapbookers out there, you might find this craft idea to be of some interest. It’s certainly fun. Most people are intrigued with the jungle and the animals or plants that go along with it. However, most people (like me) cannot just go out, jump on a plane or boat, and visit these tropical paradises. But for those of us who are crafty enough, we can ‘bring’ the jungle to you instead…through an altered book.

Altered books are simply old books that are ‘redesigned’ into unique pieces of artwork. A year or so ago I knew little of this art form. Yet, once I researched it for another article, I became fascinated by the concept. In fact, the more I learned, the more I had to try it for myself. Since that time, I have been creating my own altered book art forms for family, friends, and myself. Like scrapbooks, they make great gifts and can be personalized to each recipient’s interest.

An altered book can be anything you want it to be. Simply choose your theme—in this case, a jungle. Choose an old book, preferably one relating to the theme, though not necessary. Note: hardcover books work best for me. Add some creativity and wah-la. It’s that easy. There’s no right or wrong. Yours will be totally different than anyone else’s. To get you started on your jungle safari (or any other theme), here’s a few suggestions that might help.

Use pictures and illustrations from the book as a guide. You can even add your own from magazines. For example, perhaps your chosen book was originally about tropical plants. Think about the types of wildlife you might come across on a safari adventure and collect pictures relating to these. Then flip through the book, gluing any unused or extra pages together, and add your wildlife pictures to the other pages. You can have tigers prowling through the jungle foliage. Monkeys might be playing in the treetops. Maybe there’s a python twisting itself around a limb.

Don’t forget to add whimsical surprises along the way. Open the trunk of a tree, for instance, and allow your visitors to get a glimpse of a sleeping bird or other animal. Cut out windows to give them a sneak peek into the next trek (page) of their safari journey. The possibilities are endless. You don’t have to rely on picture alone either. Use the words already on the page to create interesting sayings, poems, or stories. This can be achieved through obliteration—picking out key words or phrases and marking out the rest.  If this isn’t an option, add your own or write little notes or “Did you know “ facts throughout the jungle journey.

Once you have the basics, go back and decorate everything, much like you would in a scrapbook. Color, paint, add stickers, etc. Then you can work on the cover. Remember, you can use words from the existing text or come up with your own. Note: If you plant on showcasing or selling your work, be sure to use an ‘out of copyright’ publication. Otherwise, you can simply make a note of the original piece and credit it on your ‘redesigned by’ page. 

Learn more about this author, Nikki Phipps.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.