Larp Prop - Medieval book
Yesterday I made a medieval book.
1. Find appropriate story. This is Beowulf, a modern translation designed to be read aloud. Put it in a nice font and abuse the printers at work. Remember to print folio style, and if you value your sanity, add page numbers before you print. This version came to 64 pages, or 16 pieces of paper.
2. Application of tea. It took me three tea bags to cover all 16 pieces, front and back. I tried a few other methods of parchmenting the paper but went with the old stand-by of tea. While the tea-ed paper was drying...
3. Research medieval book covers. I wanted a "cheap and practical" cover. By about 1200 books are starting to become more common and by 1300 most well-to-do families had two or three slim volumes of religious or philosophical texts in practical covers. It even became popular to hang a book from your belt to show off both your wealth and your literacy.
4. Make cover. We have some maroon pleather left over from another project and a bit of oatmeal colored cotton. Not leather and silk, but my parchment isn't real parchment either. A big rectangle with a pointy flap and a tie.
5. Sew the book into the cover down the center spine.
Voila!
Please excuse low-quality webcam pictures.
1. Find appropriate story. This is Beowulf, a modern translation designed to be read aloud. Put it in a nice font and abuse the printers at work. Remember to print folio style, and if you value your sanity, add page numbers before you print. This version came to 64 pages, or 16 pieces of paper.
2. Application of tea. It took me three tea bags to cover all 16 pieces, front and back. I tried a few other methods of parchmenting the paper but went with the old stand-by of tea. While the tea-ed paper was drying...
3. Research medieval book covers. I wanted a "cheap and practical" cover. By about 1200 books are starting to become more common and by 1300 most well-to-do families had two or three slim volumes of religious or philosophical texts in practical covers. It even became popular to hang a book from your belt to show off both your wealth and your literacy.
4. Make cover. We have some maroon pleather left over from another project and a bit of oatmeal colored cotton. Not leather and silk, but my parchment isn't real parchment either. A big rectangle with a pointy flap and a tie.
5. Sew the book into the cover down the center spine.
Voila!
Please excuse low-quality webcam pictures.