I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been on a blind date, nor do I want to start now. However, that is unless it’s a date of a different kind. {{wink, wink}} Consider yourself invited to join in on a blind date book DIY.

Ever heard of a blind date with a book?

I’ve not only seen them in movies but also have found they’re quite entertaining for the giver and the receiver.

Let me ‘splain.

WHATCHA TALKIN’ ‘BOUT

Before you send me to the looney bin… consider heading to the donation bin or sale at your local library, thrift store… you get the idea. With the era of online everything, books are fast becoming a lost joy to many.

Not in my family! We are confessed bibliophiles and are eager to enjoy a book at any moment we can.

While I don’t often have time for a long sit down read, I do still grab a few pages whenever I can.

And as far as my six kiddos go, there are numerous times I have had to punish them over the years (YES, punish them) because they were deep diving into a book instead of schoolwork or chores.

Believe me, I consider myself blessed that that is a reality in my home. But like anything, deviation from responsibilities is still a no-no.

Okay, so the idea is to create a whimsical clue-driven “date”. Much like your friend says, “I know this guy I know you’ll like once you get to know him”.

You see me shopping for this blind date book DIY up above. Here’s what my youngest and I come home with to gift to someone using the Little Free Libraries in our city.

Since she is co-creating these dates with me, we primarily focus on children’s literature. However, this tutorial is for children of any age! (1-100!) And these make for wonderful gifts for any and all occasions.

Some of the thrifted books have marker on them, price tags, etc. That is perfectly fine as we can remove that at home or call it part of the whimsy of this treasure hunt.

WHAT NEXT?

Once we have our titles in hand, we head to our own scrap stash as well as the local dollar store to get clues that will give this blind date book DIY enticing qualities.

We select stickers, washi tape, notepads, pencils, and plan to make our own bookmarks in addition to the magnetic ones we found as well.

In all, we spent less than $2 for the book and materials to create this blind date.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• shipping paper, wrapping paper, newspaper or comics, etc.
• glue stick
• tape
• scissors
• drawing materials – colored pencils, pens, markers, etc.
• plus any extras you want that will fit in a thin pocket on your book.

I am outlining the steps below in written form. At the same time, the best way to see this in action is in our vlog below.

STEP 1

Now that you have your books, it’s time to get them ready for their date!

First, cut your paper to fit – that means tall enough to double over the front and back. Also, wide enough that each side is as wide as the book cover (see video for details)

Once you have your paper cut, here is one of many ways to fold it for optimal pockets. You’re basically making right angles on the front and back side – similar to gift wrapping. The video above really shows this best.

STEP 2

Then, beginning with the two front folds, bring them across to the opposite edge of the book and crease. Tape down at corners to create pockets. However, when you get to the last fold, for a clean finish use a glue stick or double-sided tape to conceal your edge.

Close up the bottom as you would when wrapping a gift – tuck in the side edges, fold bottom in first followed by top and tape shut.

STEP 3

This is the fun part!! Time to fill your blind date with all sorts of clues to what the story inside is all about. Or just have fun adding little memory keepers, sweet treats, etc.

Since we’re making these for basically strangers, we’re keeping it neutral. What is more, to keep this budget-friendly, we divide up the pack of 3 notepads into 6 smaller pads and use washi tape to decorate the top. See vlog above for how to make the backing.

What a blast we have creating bookmarks, writing up a snippet to keep the date fun, as well as getting our creative juices flowing in every facet.

Honestly, my girl and I got so caught up in creating that we didn’t want to stop! WARNING: it’s addictive!

Gotta love Loula watching every bit.

STEP 5

Finally, in case you’re wondering how to put it all together, take a look at these three examples:

To inspire you, here are the titles we chose and what we wrote on each one:

• Vacation Under the Volcano – Magic Treehouse Book: “Ready for a vacation with some heat?”
• Midnight on the Moon – Magic Treehouse Book: “This lunar adventure is the last clue.”
• Five Smooth Stones – My America, Hope’s Diary: “Does this revolutionary tale end with her family reunion?”
• The First Four Years – Little House Series: ” Moving into her own little house, this family begins a journey.”
• Anne of the Island – Anne of Green Gables Series: “Living on a Canadian island offers adventure for this redheaded teen.”
• Island of the Blue Dolphins: “Can she survive being left on this island?”
• Meet Addy – American Girl Series: “Get to know an 1864 American girl.”
• Black Beauty: ” This mane character finds a happy ending.”

We also added an age suggested reading as well as where to find this tutorial.

Then, of course, we had a blast delivering the books all over town. We have over a dozen in our area both publicly and privately owned. That makes my heart skip-happy!

Want to know if there’s any in your area? Use the world map HERE.

LET US KNOW!

First, are you ready for a blind date now? 😁

Second, would you do this DIY project for a gift or these free libraries?

Leave some comment love below as well as share what your favorite book is – we’re always looking for more books to read!

Pin and share to inspire others – it’s the easiest, smartest thing to do. ahem.

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