Altered book art is what happens when you look at a battered thrift-store hardback and see possibility instead of pulp.
In this class you'll learn how to take any old hardbound book and transform it — page by page — into a one-of-a-kind scrapbook, art journal, or keepsake. We'll cover preparing the pages, painting techniques (some involving bubble wrap and other unlikely tools), embellishments, pockets, and how to layer it all into something uniquely yours. Beginner-friendly, deeply satisfying, and an excellent excuse to save a few books from the landfill.
THE ALTERED BOOKS WORKSHOP
Rescue an old book. Turn it into something extraordinary.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
Prepare any old hardbound book to become your canvas
Paint with acrylics — and with bubble wrap, household objects, and tools you'd never expect
Build collaged layouts with fibers, trims, punches, and ephemera
Use images from old books as embellishments
Make several different kinds of pockets to tuck in your treasures
Layer mixed-media techniques into pages that feel completely yours
Walk away with a handmade book that doubles as a keepsake or gift
I made my first altered book at 18 and haven't stopped since. I love old books, and it breaks my heart that so many of them end up in landfills while we shell out for brand-new blanks to scrapbook in. I'm a die-hard recycler, so wherever I can, I work with what I already have. My first proper altered book was a thrifted hardback with missing pages that I turned into a scrapbook of a family trip to Italy. I started playing, and never looked back.
WHERE TO FIND OLD BOOKS
You don't need a vintage bookstore — old books are everywhere:
Thrift stores
Friends and family (just ask!)
Flea markets
Garage and library book sales
Online marketplaces and Craigslist
Grab any hardback that catches your eye and bring it to class.
Why an online class?
Why an online class?
Online courses are so much fun because you can learn at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. May we suggest a tasty beverage and pajamas? Perhaps on your favorite chair? Or even in your studio at our craft table? You can take online classes anywhere you want!
You have lifetime access to the video course and can come back to watch it and rewatch it anytime you want.
You can ask as many questions as you want on the course page and I will always do my best to answer your questions as best as I can.
Join a fun community of makers and creators and share your work and learn from others!
Hi I’m Mahe Zehra a.k.a MZ Welcome to my Whimsical World!Hi, I’m Mahe. I was self-schooled. The greatest thing my parents ever taught me was how to learn on my own.
I’ve been teaching myself hard things since I was ten years old. I grew up in Lahore, in a household where nothing was considered disposable. Biscuit tins became sewing kits. Old saris became quilts. I am the daughter of two long lineages of women who saved, mended and repurposed beautifully — not out of necessity, but because waste genuinely offended them.
Twenty-five years on, that’s the foundation of everything I make or do. MZ Creates is where I teach the soulful art of making meaning from what you already have — old envelopes, tea-stained paper, ticket stubs, the pretty bits of an ordinary life. I’m a Certified Zentangle Teacher and the author of over twenty books on paper craft, journaling and mixed media. I teach the way I was taught — by being trusted to figure it out. I won’t lecture you. I’ll sit beside you and show you that you can do this. Because you can. [ Read my full story ]