A school employee asked if I'd like an encyclopedia set. While I usually turn down these well-meaning offers, I asked if she would be ok with students using them for art projects. Without hesitation she said that worked for her and we got a beautiful set of navy books with gilded edges. I turned a few loose for this project. Students made cardboard templates and traced them with xacto knives borrowed from the art teacher. Some students got bored and left unfinished projects, but a half dozen carved compartments out deep enough for a key or money. We had a little trouble with things getting stuck between the pages until we used rubber cement to paint the interior edges of the cutouts.
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