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How to Paint Your Bible Cover

4/10/2017

 
How to Paint Your Bible Cover! Four Simple Steps!
It's funny how you change as you grow up. And how things change around you.  In high school a friend of mine wrote his initials on the outside edges of his Bible. He did this cause all our Bibles looked the same. Smart, right? But nobody, nobody, nobody was drawing inside their Bibles, much less on the outside of them! I was so shocked (and a little concerned with what would happen when his deacon daddy saw those edges) that I can still see them burned into my memory. It was just that unheard of!

But time changes things. (Thank the dear Lord) And exactly two decades later, I am writing a post about painting Bible covers. With paint...

Supplies:

  • Bible with a Hardcover in need of a little love.  I used the plain, black, ESV found here.  It has wide margins for journaling, and the font is "large" for a journaling Bible (which means it is not microscopic like other journaling Bibles!). I really enjoy mine :-)
  • Wall Primer.  Yes.  Really.  I used what was left over in our house paint stash.  You only need a very small amount. Like sample sized.
  • Painter's Tape.  The blue stuff.  Love, love, love this stuff.
  • Clear Plastic Wrap.
  • Brushes, cups, paper plate, paper towels, etc.
  • Acrylic Paints.  In colors that make you happy.
  • Mod Podge (optional). If you want to seal your decorations. 
  • If you are nervous, you can test this out on an old hardback book you have lying around.

Want to Skip the Primer?

Update!!! Crossway has released a new version of the journaling Bible I have (without the "large" font), but this one has a white cover that is ready to paint/draw on!
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Customizable Cover)

Word to the Wise...

Wall primer S.T.I.N.K.S!  Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area!​​

Step One: Prepare Your Bible

Step One: Prepare Your Bible
My Bible all wrapped and ready. To be honest, I was pretty nervous at this point!
Open your Bible to the middle.  Using the plastic wrap, cover your pages to keep them from getting painted on (or stuck together)!  Use the painters tape to secure the plastic.

Down along the binding, where it is impossible to put the plastic, I just stuck a generous piece of tape.  It did not hurt my Bible pages at all!

If your Bible has an elastic strap, wrap it in tape, too!

Step Two: Priming Your Cover

Step Two: Priming Your Cover
I was so glad I did this outside, wall primer is not something I want the kids breathing in! (and yes, just like your walls, the smell fades away)
Take a deep breath.  (Before you open the primer!) Everything is going to be fine. (If you totally hate it, you can put a cover on it, no sweat, right?)

Now, Crack open the wall primer, stir it up real well, and then brush on a nice thick layer on the outside of your cover. Paint horizontally. No turning back now!

Let it dry for a couple hours, and then do a second layer, this time painting vertically. Go away and let it dry for a good, long time. You need some fresh air.

Step Three: Base Coat 

Step Three: Base CoatSee the pearly finish? <3
Ahem. It is very probable that at some point in this process your children are going to wander past and goggle at you because (let's face it), you are painting a book, and that is not normal. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyway! Give your kids a great answer (because I warned you, and you've had time to come up with something better than Um, yes, it is my Bible, but NO! Don't get any crazy ideas!). Apply a nice thick layer of acrylic in the color you want, and let it dry. You can do this twice if you need to (once vertically, and once horizontally). 

Not all acrylics leave those big brush strokes! They have different "bodies", and I was using some pearlized incandescent heavy body acrylic I found in my husband's college art stash, and I was more interested in the color than the streaks. You can use "fluid" acrylics to get a smoother look. Different brushes have different effects too.

Confession: I could not decide what to put on my Bible for a long time! I took the plastic of the pages and just used it like normal for a couple weeks!

Step Four: Decorate!

How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...
This is the awesome part! You can paint over the entire thing, or you can go with one central image. I put a design one side and left the other blank, because my thoughtful nine-year old pointed out that I like to draw verses on my covers (he's right).  Note: I did not bother with protecting my pages, but if you are painting with kids around, you might want to!
Need painting advice?Painting with Jane is a YouTube channel the kids and I have used to learn about painting with acrylics. 
​You can even decorate the edges! I used a Micron Pen and also a fine point Sharpie, and then colored pencils. My Bible's pages are "feathered" out at one edge, so my work is crisp by the binding and slightly loose toward the edge.
How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...
How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...
How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...
How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...

Happy Painting!

Now, take courage, and get out your brushes! It doesn't matter what others think of your Bible cover, or of you! What matters is your heart. 

So make that Bible your own! After all, we tend to cherish the things we personalize, don't we?
How to paint your Bible in four easy steps! I love the way mine turned out (once I worked up the courage to do it)! Come see how I did it...
Picture


​Need a New Bible to Paint?

Marion
4/10/2017 03:18:34 pm

S can't wait to do this! She loved the idea! Thanks for sharing!

Anna link
4/10/2017 04:16:33 pm

You HAVE to send me a pic when she's done! :-)

best writers link
10/1/2017 08:21:42 am

Painting the cover of your bible is a great idea! Just make sure that you would not damage the image of Jesus if your cover has one. People need to start reading the Bible more and not just because it is mandatory in school. We can learn so much from the Bible if only we are to force ourselves to be interested in it. We owe it to Jesus Christ to learn about His life after He has willingly sacrificed His own life for us.

Ruth
7/18/2017 01:58:22 am

Is there anyway I can paint on a Bonded Leather Bible?

Anna link
7/18/2017 07:17:24 am

Oh, that is a good question! I haven't seen it done yet, to be honest. I've seen things where people use acrylics on leather shoes and such (like http://www.instructables.com/id/Painting-Leather-Shoes-or-other-leather-stuff/).

I would definitely test it on an old Bible you are not attached to before I tried it on your favorite though! You have to let me know how it turns out if you do try it!
Anna

Amy
12/21/2017 09:46:48 am

Should I laminate it after I paint or apply polyurethane to it?
Ty!!

Anna Travis link
12/21/2017 10:28:13 am

I didn't do either and my paint has held up really well. You could test that on an extra hardback if you wanted... let me know if you do! I'd love to hear how it turns out. 😄

Christina
6/14/2018 12:54:28 am

Is it possible to paint over a TruTone bible cover and it not flake off or peel? I have heard those cover peel easily and I was hoping with some gesso, paint and mode podge... it would be ok and more durable. It’s imitation leather. Super smooth. Thank you!

Anna link
6/14/2018 08:15:45 am

Hi Christina,
I've only done this on hardbacks (I listed the exact one in the post). I figure that if you love that Bible and it starts to fall apart, well, THEN you could try painting the cover! I usually replace my Bible when they get all flaky, but that would be worth trying. If you do, let me know. If I dig out an old one and try it, I'll share too!

Victoria Bravo
9/4/2018 03:40:58 pm

Does the paint eventually start to chip?

I am wanting a bible done but the person says she only does it on cloth bibles because the paint starts to chip on the other ones. Is that because she doesnt have the right paint or is she right? Is cloth better?

Anna Travis link
9/4/2018 04:53:54 pm

It's been over a year since I did mine. Getting close to 2. The paint around the spine has chipped, but it doesn't bother me. I think the primer paint has really been what's made mine last longer. The chipping on my spine is the same place my Bible starts to fall apart anyway, whether or not I paint it! Probably from being shoved in bags and baskets and what-not.

You could ask around on etsy and find another painter... I know there are quite a few out there!


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