DIY Mini Stacked Books

Mini stacked books make a great addition to your tiered trays or table top area you want to decorate! They are very popular right now, and perfect for holiday gift giving or anytime you need a cute and easy DIY gift. They add a vintage look to your decor, and can even be personalized!

I am a member of the StyleTech Craft Design Team. I was provided product from StyleTech Craft for this post. This post may contain affiliate links.  See my full disclosure and privacy policy HERE. All opinions are my own.

DIY Mini Stacked Books are my new favorite creation when I need a little something to finish off some decor. They add height, a cute touch, and even a holiday or seasonal element to our decor. And, they are SO easy and budget friendly to DIY!

While you could easily paint these by hand, or stamp, I decided to take the easier way. I used StyleTech Craft Vinyl to create my words and decorate these, and they turned out so fun!

These DIY Mini Stacked Books are easy and frugal ~ mainly because you can use blocks of wood to create the stacked book look. I found the perfect size blocks at the craft store. But if you had scrap wood at home, you could cut it and sand it to the size you want!

Since we are inching up on Christmas, slowly but surely, I went with a holiday theme for my project. I used the words “peace / on / earth”, but there are tons of phrases you can use:

• O / Holy / Night
• Joy / to the / World
• Hot Cocoa / Marshmallows / Candy Canes
• Farm Fresh / Christmas / Trees
• Oh Come / Let Us / Adore Him
• Old Fashioned / ******* Family / Christmas {insert the last name of the family}
• Cookies / for / Santa

And the list could go on!

Supplies for DIY Mini Stacked Books

• Blocks of Wood
• Silhouette Cameo or similar vinyl cutting machine
• StyleTech Craft Glossy Craft Vinyl
• Craft Paint / Paint brush
• Weeding Hook
• Transfer Tape
• Burnishing Tool
• Wood Glue
• Twine, Ribbon, other embellishments

How to Make DIY Mini Stacked Books

First, sand your wood to make sure it’s nice and smooth. Applying vinyl to wood can be tricky, so you want a super smooth surface.

Second, paint your wood blocks and set them aside to dry. This may take 3 coats or so, but be sure it is dry completely before applying the vinyl.

Design your text in the design software for your cutting machine. I used the Courier Font to give them a stamped, farmhouse, vintage look. Typewriter Font would work nicely, as well. Mine looks like this:

Adjust your text to meet the measurements of your wood. Err on the shorter side, so the letters don’t overlap and touch the block below them. You want them in a nice straight line on your wood, and you do not want to have to trim it.

Send your words to cut. When it is finished, weed the vinyl to remove the excess. It should look like this:

Using the transfer tape, “transfer” your words to the wood blocks. Place the adhesive side of the transfer tape on the top of the text. Gently peel off the white backing of the vinyl. Then, place it on the block, one word at a time. Smooth the vinyl with a burnishing tool to make sure it’s adhered, and at an angle gently peel off the transfer tape and discard.

After you have added the text, use wood glue to stack your blocks and let it dry over night.

Finally tie them with a twine, decorative ribbon or add some cute garland or embellishments.

Tips for DIY Mini Stacked Books:

• Courier or Typewriter Fonts are great and have a vintage look to them.
• If using paint, use a matte finish. This will allow the vinyl to adhere better, but it may take 2-3 coats.
• You can stain the wood. However, give it a coat of Mod Podge. After time, the stain will break down the adhesive in the vinyl if they are in direct contact with each other.
• Add some festive embellishments. Artificial flowers, garland, or small ornaments add a nice touch.

I had so much fun making these cute stacked books. There is no set SVG for them, and the possibilities are endless! Will you be making these for holiday gifts?