The other day, I found myself on Etsy, scrolling through an endless page of the most darling and unique hand-crafted gifts (which pretty much defines my every visit to Etsy).
I stumbled across something that piqued my interest (more so than everything else, that is). It was a word cloud of the Hippocratic Oath printed on an old dictionary page. Immediately I knew I wanted it. I mean, what better décor for a home with a medical student? But I couldn’t exactly forget our budget. So I figured I’d just make it myself.
The first problem I ran into was an utter lack of old books. I’m a little terrified of hoarders, so I tend to throw out anything that hasn’t been in use in over a year. The only old books I have are ones that I like and want to keep intact.
I did what anyone looking for something old and obsolete would do: jumped on Ebay. I snagged a 130-year-old French pathology book for $10. Then I created that same word cloud Hippocratic Oath on Tagxeto.com and even downloaded a few extra photos, including some Gray’s Anatomy illustrations.
I printed the images (slightly edited for contrast and sharpness) on select pages and ordered a pack of 25 8×10” mat board frames (with 5×7” beveled openings) to save on framing.
Overall project cost: $30 for up to 25 matted prints ($1.20 per matted print)
Potential cost on Etsy: $10-$15 per single print (plus shipping)
Difference: Monumentally awesome!
If you like the look, give it a try! If I can DIM, you can DIY!
