Scottdale Public Library Director Kristy Smith says, "We were hoping to encourage people to buy books not only for reading but to be upcycled and used for different purposes as well"
Credit: Kristy Smith, Director Scottdale Public Library
NEED TO KNOW
- Scottdale Public Library staff and volunteers created a wedding dress from damaged books to promote their annual book sale
- The handmade dress features intricate details like ruffled layers and paper flowers, and is fully wearable
- The project highlights creative ways to upcycle books and raise funds amid public library budget cuts
A handmade wedding dress was pieced together one page at a time.
Ahead of the Scottdale Public Library's annual book sale, its staff and volunteers had a novel idea — literally — to promote it. Over the course of two weeks, the group gathered at the library, located in Scottdale, Pa., to create a wedding dress out of paper from damaged books to highlight their value beyond reading.
"We were hoping to encourage people to buy books not only for reading but to be upcycled and used for different purposes as well," Kristy Smith, the library's director, tells PEOPLE.
Credit: Kristy Smith, Director Scottdale Public Library
She explains, "Funding has been cut to all public libraries, and expenses keep increasing, so we are constantly looking for ways to raise funds so that we can better serve our community. We thought this might be a good way to draw people to our used book sale."
Everyone was on board with the unique idea. They worked together to construct the strapless, floor-length gown out of layered pages with scalloped edges for a soft, ruffled look. Intricately rolled and folded pages formed dimensional flowers of different shapes and sizes at the waist and upper bodice.
"It is an actual dress that can be taken off and worn," Smith points out.
Credit: Kristy Smith, Director Scottdale Public Library
The dress was made on a form loaned to the library from a board member. Five damaged books, plus some library checkout slips and book-packing material, were used to create it.
The dress will be on display through the beginning of May as part of a community art show hosted by the Scottdale Public Library.
"We are hoping to have a silent auction and find a good home for it," Smith says.
Credit: Kristy Smith, Director Scottdale Public Library
So far, library visitors have "loved" the paper wedding dress.
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"It sparked conversations on how books can be used for multiple different purposes," Smith shares. "We also made a book turkey one year at Thanksgiving, which was really fun. We have some more ideas in mind for future projects as well."
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