I LOVE special edition books and sprayed edges are one of my favorite modifications. I had thrifted a set of Twilight books and then bought gorgeous dust covers for them so I wanted to find a way to make them even more beautiful! I decided to attempt to paint the book edges to mimic the sprayed edges look. I have a reel with video footage of the project on my Instagram page, but I will list out the instructions below as well with extra details!
Step 1:
Select a book to paint. Hardcover books are going to work best and you want to avoid any deckled edged books. Make sure this isn't a book that is hard to replace or one that you may want to resell (in case you make any mistakes).
Step 2:
Remove the dust jackets and tape paper over the outside covers to keep them clean and free from paint. Be sure to put tape over the edges of the top and bottom of the spine as well.
Step 3:
Clamp the books closed very tightly. You should not be able to press the book down additionally with your hands. If you can compress the books further, you don't have them clamped tight enough and paint will seep between your pages.
Step 4:
Paint the edges using a thin, matte acrylic paint. You can get fancy and paint designs, use stencils, etc.
Step 5: Once dry to the touch, unclamp your book and remove the paper and tape. Turn each page 1 by 1 to gently separate pages that are stuck. Be very careful as it is easy to rip a page if you move too quickly.
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