https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/routemaster-bus-cookbook-holder • Posted by Cat Morley
I've loved Routemaster ever since we lived in London and when Old-Fashioned Milk Paint got in touch to offer me some of their paints, I knew their Salem Red and Pitch black shades would work perfect for the bus design, so I created a cookbook holder for the kitchen!
I've loved Routemaster ever since we lived in London and when Old-Fashioned Milk Paint got in touch to offer me some of their paints, I knew their Salem Red and Pitch black shades would work perfect for the bus design, so I created a cookbook holder for the kitchen!
Start by planning our your design on a piece of paper, you want your bus to be a bit wider than your average cookbook when it's open.
Cut out the template and trace around it on to a thin piece of wood.
Use a Dremel inside a router table to neatly cut out the bus from the wood. Sanding off the edges. You can also cut out four wooden circles for the wheels but I found it easier to buy these at the craft store.
Cut a strip of decking to the same width as your bus.
Cut a slant in the decking so that the bus tilts back just a little to support the book.
Mix up the red milk paint.
Paint your bus with one coat of milk paint.
Paint your decking too, leave to dry and paint with another coat before painting the reverse side of the bus.
Trace around the windows of your template onto the bus with a pencil.
Mix up the black milk paint and paint the windows of the bus and both sides of the wood circles for wheels.
Using masking tape to get a nice straight edge, paint a white strip along the bus.
Add a shorter white strip to the bottom and also the handrail on the door.
Finally paint a long strip for the advert and a small rounded rectangle for the bus number with chalkboard paint in between the two sets of windows.
Use a fine white paint pen to carefully outline each window.
Paint white circles in the middle of your wheels and leave your wooden pieces to dry.
When the paint has dried, use a strong wood glue or No More Nails to glue the bus into the wedge you cut on the decking.
Rest the decking on top of something to make the bus the right height and then glue two wheels to the front and back of the bus.
Finally, use a chalk pen to give the bus a number, destination and advert!