Vintage Book Collage

Class Includes Lifetime Access, Online Community, Instructor Commenting, 5 Video Lessons

5 Lessons – $59.00

Do you have a collection of old books that are ready for a new life? In this fun class Hollie Chastain shows us how to take a vintage book—preferably one with some markings already embedded in the covers somehow—and turn it into a story, shrine or abstract design using a whole bunch of mixed-media techniques including paper weaving, embroidery, paper scaling and cutting, and more.

Pre-recorded video class starting  3/17.

 

TEACHER: Hollie Chastain

Class Description

Vintage Book Collage
Instructor: Hollie Chastain
Class Dates: March 17-26, 2026
5 Lessons • $59
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Hello!

I am so excited to be teaching this class. My name is Hollie Chastain and I am a collage and mixed-media artist from Tennessee.

I LOVE to collect vintage books and ephemera… and what better way to honor and appreciate these books than to rescue them from landfills and use them to create! In this class we’ll take a beautiful, but past-its-prime, book and make from it a gorgeous piece of art. For this project, the book will not only act as a substrate but also a critical element of mixed media.

Through lessons in cutting, painting, stitching, and texture, we’ll build a multi-technique work that features color and texture,  as well as shadow that elevates the book cover to a show-worthy piece. Throughout class we will finish one book piece and have multiple options and the skills and ideas to carry on the journey after class with more books as well.

I hope you’ll join me!

Hollie

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Here is some of Hollie’s collage work utilizing vintage book covers as a substrate/main event:

 

And here are some samples from the show she referenced in the video:

And here are samples of what we’ll be working on in this class (with techniques of shaping, embroidering, paper cutting, scaling and mounting):

Class Itinerary

The video lessons are pre-recorded and will be available to view on the following schedule:

Lesson 0 – Upon Signup

Lesson 1 – Tuesday, March 17
Lesson 2 – Wednesday, March 18
Lesson 3  – Friday, March 20

Lesson 4   – Tuesday, March 24
Lesson 5 – Thursday, March 26

Lesson 0
Sourcing your books! This video is available to you upon signup and we’ll talk about how to source your vintage books, and what to look for in your books for best success.

Lesson 1
We’ll begin by carefully disassembling our book choice(s) and talk through what that might look like depending on the state of your book. The design of our decorative book edge will be planned and cut away so we can begin to see the shape of our piece.

Lesson 2
For Lesson 2, we’ll start adding in compositional details through embroidery. You will use your pencil to plan out the lines and shapes you can then stitch directly into your book cover. We will also make a woven paper element to include in your piece in a later lesson.

Lesson 3
It’s all about the spine! Again, we have a few options to accentuate the inner spine of your book and will work on embroidery and/or a wooden veneer technique perfect for this use and many more.

Lesson 4
The hero of the collage story—paper—makes its appearance. We’ll chat about cut shapes and color and, in addition to gluing, will also be using thick tape or another spacer to create some lift and shadow on the surface of your piece.

Lesson 5
In our final class we will focus on those last surface details (mainly paint and paper additions) that pull a piece together. Then we’ll do the final assembly and talk about framing options!

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For a list of the supplies you will need, see the tab titled “Supplies” located just under the video screen above.

 

 

Supply List

Note: In all of our classes we encourage you to improvise with supplies you already have on hand! Links are just provided for your convenience.

And for the spine treatment, you will be given several options. You can combine the techniques or just choose one of the following:

  • General studio supplies such as a glue stick, scissors and metal ruler

    • About the Teacher

    Hollie Chastain is a Chattanooga-based mixed-media artist and illustrator whose work blends her graphic-design roots with a studio-art sensibility to craft collages rich in narrative, texture, and reinterpreted history. Her technique often involves repurposing vintage and found materials such as old book covers, photographs, and magazine clippings, and cutting, layering, stitching, and gluing them into new compositions that evoke both nostalgia and fresh stories. Rather than beginning with a detailed sketch, Chastain frequently allows the character and imperfections of the found to guide the direction of a piece, letting the material dictate tone, mood, and subject matter.

    Notable among her accomplishments, Chastain published the how-to book If You Can Cut, You Can Collage (2017), a widely praised guide that makes collage accessible to newcomers and encourages experimentation with color, texture, composition, and found-paper materials. Her artwork has been featured in national and international galleries, and she has worked with a broad range of editorial and publishing clients, from Warner Records and Smithsonian Magazine to Rizzoli Publishing and The Oxford American.

    www.holliechastain.com

    https://www.instagram.com/holliechastain/

    Nuts & Bolts

    – The lesson videos are pre-recorded and will be available for viewing on the following calendar:

    – We will provide two class FORUMS for you to (optionally) share your artwork and enjoy and learn from the artwork of others. You may also email your teachers directly with questions or feedback.

    – You will have forever access to the class videos and materials!