Creating a One-of-a-Kind Bible in Nine Easy Steps

This simple craft, turning an inexpensive Bible into a special, personalized gift, can be completed in less than an hour by your teenager or by younger children with a bit of assistance.

You will need to gather the following supplies:

• A Bible
• Coordinating scrapbooking supplies, paper, ink, stickers, ribbons, and embellishments of your choice
• Scissors
• Adhesive- we used Tacky Glue, double-side permanent tape, and Mod Podge
• Brown craft paper or a brown paper bag from the grocery store
• A sharpie or other permanent marker, optional

1. Cut the brown craft paper or paper bag to cover the outside of the Bible, leaving enough paper to ensure that you can fold the paper over on the inside.

2. Crinkle up the brown paper.

3. After  the paper is really wrinkled, smooth it out, and begin to rub colored ink all over the paper. The ink will grab on the raised parts on the paper, giving it a bit of definition.  Allow several minutes for the ink to dry.

4. Spread Tacky Glue over the side of the Bible that you’d like to work on first.

5. Begin to cover the Bible with the inked craft paper, smoothing the paper firmly as you go to ensure there are no air bubbles.

6. For the paper to fit properly, you will need to cut the piece out by the spine and then fold the inside like you would wrap a gift. We used the double-sided tape on the inside of the Bible and the Tacky Glue on the outside.

This is what your project will look like so far.

7. Cut the scrapbooking paper to the desired size and glue it over the craft paper. Make sure that your Bible is the right side up when you begin to add decorations.

8. Embellish the Bible with the recipient’s tastes in mind.

My daughter had selected paper with conversation bubbles all over so she wrote in some Bible verses to finish decorating the gift.

9. After you are finished decorating the Bible, protect your work by applying a couple coats of Mod Podge, allowing each coat to dry completely before adding another.

The finished product is a gift that your child will be proud to share.

You could also easily modify the directions to cover a notebook for a matching prayer journal or Bible notebook.

This time of year Tonya loves spending time with her three teenagers and getting crafty. You can read about their educational outings and field trips at her blog, The Traveling Praters.