How to Paint Books

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 15, 2023 References Tested

Give your old books a new look and add a new decor element to your room by painting them. Cover your hardcover book with a base coat to create a fresh canvas to work on. Design your book with a handwritten quote, a unique design, or even splatter paint to make a fun, bright piece of art. Choose from different kinds of paint depending on what kind of look you're going for, like chalk paint for a more rustic look or watercolors for an opaque yet vibrant design.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Covering the Book with a Base Layer

1
Use hardback books so that the cover doesn't get warped. When choosing books to paint, steer clear of soft-covered volumes. When paint gets applied to a pliable surface like that, it'll curl and deform the cover.^{[1]
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- Remove dust jackets and recycle them or use them for another craft project.
2
Open the book and lay it down spine-up on a piece of cardboard. Try to open the book as close to the middle point as possible so that it's easier to paint both the front and back covers at once. You could also use an easel to prop up the book instead of laying it flat on a table.^{[2]
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- If you don't have a large enough piece of cardboard, use newspaper, an old sheet, or anything else that will protect the surface you're working on.
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3
Paint the cover, spine, and back of the book to create a blank canvas. Use a wide, straight-edged paintbrush and acrylic paint to apply the base coat. Start painting in the center of the front cover and paint outwards from that spot to the edges. Repeat on the back cover and on the spine. Use long, even strokes so the paint is evenly distributed.^{[3]
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- If you want to cover up a dark cover or a design in order to paint something new, use white acrylic paint.
- If you're interested in just painting the book a new color to use as a design accent, choose whatever color you like best.
Tip: To cover all the crevices around the spine, stand the book on end once you get to that point. This way you can close the cover a little bit and see the entire spine.
4
Let the base coat fully dry before you do anything else. Depending on what kind of cover you were working with, you might need to apply a second layer of paint so that none of the original color or design shows through. But before you do that or move on to actually decorating and designing your book, let the first coat dry completely. This will keep additional paint from smearing or mixing with the base coat.^{[4]
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- Acrylic paint takes about 20 to 30 minutes to dry.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding Designs and Embellishments

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Paint the books solid colors if you like minimalistic decor. Paint multiple books all the same color or use various shades to create a rainbow effect. For example, if your living room has blue hues throughout, plain white books would look really nice. Or, you could use a stack of 3 books and paint each one a different shade of blue.^{[5]
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- Keep your painted books on a shelf or use them throughout your house as accent pieces. There's no right or wrong way to decorate with them!
2
Use tape to make stripes or other patterns for a fun, unique decoration. Apply masking tape or painters tape to the cover of the book to make different designs, like diagonal stripes, horizontal stripes, vertical stripes, squares, or even a chevron pattern. Paint the exposed areas of the book with your paint color of choice and let it dry completely. Peel away the tape to reveal the completed project, and then display the books somewhere you can admire the newly designed covers.^{[6]
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- Remember, if you make a mistake, you can always paint over it.
Tip: Wait for the paint to completely dry before you remove the strips of tape to reveal your design. Otherwise, wet paint might spread into areas where you don't want it.
3
Decorate the cover with a personalized design to display your artistry. Use the cover and/or back of the book as a miniature canvas to create your own unique work of art. Paint a scene or use different colors, shapes, and techniques to create a more abstract look. Display your books on shelves or dressers so that their covers can be seen and admired.^{[7]
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- It would be fun to create new cover designs for the books based on their themes and stories. For example, you could paint a scene from The Great Gatsby on the cover of that book.
- You could even create a scene that extends over several book spines. For example, paint all the spines of the Harry Potter books to illustrate one of your favorite scenes from the series. Then put the books back on your bookshelf and enjoy!
4
Display a favorite quote by painting it onto the front of a book. It could be a quote from the book itself or simply a quote that really resonates with you. Use a fine-tipped paintbrush to handwrite a quote onto the cover, or use an actual stencil to make your letters more uniform. You could still paint small designs around the quote, like flowers, vines, stars, or even people.^{[8]
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- These books would make great gifts for someone who loves to read, especially if you painted one of their favorite books and picked a quote from it to write on the front.
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Mod Podge the cover with paper and paint to create a beautiful collage. Use different scraps of paper or images you've cut out from a magazine. Arrange them on the cover and apply a coat of Mod Podge overtop of the images. Let the Mod Podge dry completely. Then, use opaque paint, like a watercolor or gouache paint, to cover the images with a thin layer of color. This will create a cool visual where you can see the collage beneath the paint but it can still match whatever color scheme you have in mind.^{[9]
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- You could even use multiple colors of paints to highlight different images.
6
Make a piece of splash art for a colorful piece you can display at home. Work outside if you can, or lay down a large, old sheet on the floor to protect it from paint. Use multiple colors of paint (acrylic works best for this project). Wet a round or flat paintbrush and dip it into the paint. Flick it at the book to splatter paint on it. Repeat this action with as many different colors as you want until the book is covered with splatters.^{[10]
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- You could also tape off a design or a quote on the cover before splatter painting it. Once the paint has dried, remove the tape to reveal your design underneath.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Experimenting with Different Kinds of Paints

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Use acrylic paint for a fast-drying, wallet-friendly option. Acrylic paint is one of the more popular types of artists' paints, and you can find tons of colors at your local craft store. It's a nice option because it dries quickly, so you won't need to worry about waiting long before you can display your painted books. You can use any kind of paintbrush with acrylic paint, just make sure to rinse off your brush before putting it into a new color of paint.^{[11]
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- Acrylic paint is also very easy to wash off of clothes and skin.
2
Choose spray paint to quickly apply color to your books. Choose glitter spray paint, neon spray paint, or regular colors of spray paint. Cover the entire cover and back of the book, or tape off sections to spray designs onto the book. Hold the canister about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the book and press down the tip to release the paint. Continuously move the canister so that the book is evenly covered from top to bottom.^{[12]
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Warning: If you decide to use spray paint, make sure to work in a well-ventilated area.
3
Opt for chalk paint for a more rustic style. Even if you don't want to write on your books, chalk paint is a fun option that will give them a charming, natural look. Use white, gray, light blue, or even black. Use a flat or bright-tipped paintbrush to apply long, even strokes of chalk paint over the cover. Apply a single coat to let some of the original cover peek through, or apply 2 to 3 coats to give it a solid finish.^{[13]
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- Chalk paint doesn't have a shiny finish, so if that's something you want, you'd be better off picking an acrylic or oil paint.
4
Pick oil paints to create a vibrant design on your book. Oil paints take a lot longer to dry when compared to acrylic paint or spray paint, but because they take so long to dry, there's more time for you to modify your artwork. An angle-tipped paintbrush or a round-tipped paint brush will allow you to create more detail in your painting. Rinse and dry off your paintbrush in between colors.^{[14]
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- Oil paint is a bit harder to wash off of your skin or clothes and usually requires the use of some kind of oil, like baby oil or mineral oil.
- Oil paints are generally very thick and vibrant.
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Paint with watercolors to play around with color on the cover. Using watercolors lets you control how opaque or vibrant your painting will be. Wet your brush with water (use any kind of paintbrush you prefer) and dip it into a color on your palette. Try mixing different colors of paint together on the cover of the book to create different effects. Use more water for a more opaque color or less water for a more vibrant color.^{[15]
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- If you like watercolors but also want a mix of acrylic paint, try using gouache paint.
- Watercolors would look great on the cover or spine of a book, whether you wanted to paint an actual scene, like a meadow or a house, or whether you just wanted to experiment with different colors.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you paint the outside of the pages of a book?

Community Answer

I wouldn't recommend that, because the paint will act as a glue and bind the pages together.
Question

Does spray paint work on things like composition books?

Community Answer

Yes, it should work just fine as long as it is not watered down.
Question

Can I prep with alcohol then use fabric paint, if the book has water stains?

Sarah Battilana

Community Answer

The best option would be to apply a base coat of white acrylic paint. Do 1 or 2 coats, and the water stains should be completely covered.