Hello everyone! Today I want to to dive into my love of paper craft and share with you one of my recent and favorite creations for the library. This display makes a big impact with only a few sheets of paper- and little to NO experience necessary. It’s so easy- I promise! This project goes far beyond the library and would work well for classroom displays, parties, or even holiday decorations- its up to you!

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My inspiration for this project came from Pinterest (no surprise there!) While searching through pins of retail store displays, I came across this picture of an Anthropologie window display from Fall 2011. Eye-catching but simple, I instantly knew I had found my next project.

Every time I tackle a new display the first question I ask myself is- Can I make this out of the supplies we have at work? The reason being, libraries are often short on funds- but not on paper. The nature of our creations are rather temporary as well, changing with the seasons, local interests, or which books are overflowing on the shelves. Paper is also lightweight and easy to disassemble or recycle once the display grows tired.

My library branch just happens to have every color of letter-sized printer paper imaginable, so I knew that I would use that to recreate this look in technicolor. Add my favorite subject- 745.5 (otherwise known as crafts <3) and I was ready to create!  (*Affiliate links for the products in this tutorial used when possible).

Materials:

• 30 pieces of letter size (8.5”x 11”) paper, assorted colors (2 pieces of each color) I suggest this construction paper if you need a lot for a great price!*
  
• White card stock
• Permanent double sided tape*
  
• Regular Scotch Tape
• Fiskars paper trimmer
• Silhouette Cameo to easily cut out the display title. If you don’t own one of these magical machines or something else like it, you could also hand cut any lettering you might need.*

 

Prep:

1. First, I cut what felt like a bajillion strips of paper with the paper trimmer. I cut each piece of paper lengthwise into 2” wide strips, which gave me about 4 strips per page.
2. Then, I cut a few of those strips in half (a few of each color)- making shorter sections. Some of these short sections I left as is, and some I taped to the end of a full length piece to make a longer section.
3. Next, I started taping the individual strips into circles using the permanent double sided tape. Depending on the length of the strip, this made a larger or smaller circle.
   (I didn’t make the strips any longer than 17” because the printer paper would not hold its shape as a circle. If I had used colored card stock, I could have made longer strips and larger circles.)
4. I gathered all the circles together on a cart as I worked, arranging them into rough color order and nested them together.
5. Finally, I used the Silhouette Cameo to cut “Creative Crafts” out of bright white card stock to really stand out against all the color.  I chose the circular Bauhaus 93 font (standard on most computers) to compliment the theme.

Putting IT Together:

 I wanted to fill the entire top shelf and leave the rest for displaying the books themselves. I started attaching each circle to the shelf using the good old “roll of scotch tape method” (this way, I won’t damage or leave residue on the shelf when I go to remove it.) Starting at one end, I taped each circle together in color order as high as I could. As soon as the paper buckled or started to lean, I stopped building up or added a circle inside another one. Where each circle touched I put double sided tape to reinforce it and hold it together.

The arrangement was random- I just placed sizes and colors as they fit. After my cascading wall of circles was complete, I adhered the title to the front edge of the shelves. The best part, of course, was picking the books to feature to finish it up!

I am so happy with the result. The great thing about this display is it is dynamic. From the front, it is just an unassuming series of circles, but when you approach the shelves from either side, the display of color is bright and attractive.

 I think this same technique could create some eye-catching decorations for parties or events. Imagine decorating the cake table with patterned scrapbook paper, making a chain of them to hang from the ceiling, or with some effort- making an entire photo backdrop!

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Thanks for reading! I hope I’ve proven just how easy this project is, and inspired you to make your own version. Visit my Library Pinterest Board for more of my inspiration for displays. I’d love to see or hear about what you have created with this idea, so please comment below!