Upcycled Book Halloween Jacks

@JagCagDesign
by @JagCagDesign
3 Materials
1 Hour
Easy

These upcycled book Jacks are one of my most popular projects. I have shown them on my social media accounts (my Jag Cag Instagram and Facebook pages) for the past few years, and now I have decided to share them here on my Hometalk Channel! By the way, if you are following me here on Hometalk, thank you so much! Your comments on my posts are what encourage me to keep posting! icon

Here's the finished look - you can see that these can be made in different sizes and styles. So fun! And a great project for all ages!

Step 1


Rip off the cover of an old paperback that you no longer want. If you don't have any, you can find these easily at yard sales and thrift stores. They usually cost about 50 cents - $1.

Step 2


Decide on the shape of pumpkin that you would like. This guy has a cute pointy head.

This one is a flat head. icon


What other shapes can you come up with?

Step 3


For the pointy head, start by folding the book page into a triangle, like this.

Then, fold the page in half.

Step 4


Keep folding! This is the part that takes awhile. You may wish to do a little bit every night, like I did. Fold your pages sharply, running your fingers over the creases. It will get harder to fold as you go on, so be sure that each page is folded as precisely as possible. If you don't pay attention, and start folding your pages a little differently, you will end up with a lop-sided pumpkin head.


But hey, that could be a fun look, too! icon

When you are all done folding, you will have something that looks like this.

Step 5


Cut your features out of paper, or use other objects to make the faces (see my junk pumpkin tutorial for ideas). To make the curly looking "vines", I cut spirals out of the paper. I also cut a few "leaves" to add to the top of the pumpkins.

Step 6


Use any glue you'd like to attach your features.


Note: This one is the shortest one I made. In order to make him shorter than the standard book "height", I cut the book down a few pages at a time before I started folding. He might be my fave!

All done!


Have fun decorating with these. I used to put them on my mantle. They're also fun to use as table centerpieces. And the best part is that you can make these for free if you have the materials on hand!


If you like what you see here, please check out my other projects, and be sure to follow me on social media (links at the top of this post). And, as always, be sure to share a pic of your photos if you make these. You can share that pic below, in comments, or tag me on social media. I LOVE seeing what you come up with!


Happy creating,

Xo

Jamey


More Haunting Halloween Decorating Ideas!

Ready to turn your house into a spine-chilling sanctuary? From sinister mirrors to spellbinding chandeliers, our How to Turn Your Home Into a Haunted House guide will help you transform your space into a gothic haven.

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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Lisa Lisa on Oct 26, 2021

    How do you fold them for the flat top look? I've made Christmas trees out of old Readers digest magazines, but never used a paperback book. Good idea, you can also spray paint these for pumpkins, snowmen or trees.

  • Lilith Lilith on Oct 24, 2022

    We use to do this a Christmas using readers digest. Angels and santas

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  • Patty Patty on Oct 25, 2023

    Very clever!

  • Libby Libby on Oct 26, 2023

    Thanks! I’m going to take this idea and make snowmen heads :-) Maybe even stack them for a complete snowman with a body. Fun

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