Friday 18 September, and the rhinestones were back.
When the first Book Bedazzling Night sold out, we added a second one almost immediately. That one sold out too, which told us everything we needed to know: this is not a one-off novelty, it is a thing our readers actually want.
Sophia, back behind the counter
Once again we handed the whole night over to Sophia from The Booklover Society, who brought her equipment in, set the space up and ran the workshop from start to finish.
Having her back for a second round was easy in the best way. She knows the room now, she knows our readers, and she hosts with the kind of warmth that gets a table of strangers talking to each other inside five minutes.
What a bedazzling night actually looks like
You bring a book you love, or you pick one off our shelves on the night, and you cover it in rhinestones until it deserves the top shelf. Sophia walks everyone through it step by step, every material is provided, and no craft experience is required whatsoever.
A room full of people who want somewhere to be with other readers, doing something with their hands, talking about books without having to explain themselves. That is the entire reason we opened this café, and watching it happen twice over has been genuinely special.
What's next
Book bedazzling is now a regular fixture, and there are more craft nights on the way, including Paint Your Own Book Edges. Keep an eye on our events page and follow @trilogyofromancebookcafe so you don't miss the next announcement. Follow @thebookloversociety_ too for everything Sophia has coming up around Melbourne.
Need a book to bedazzle first? Shop online here or come and browse in person at 109 Maribyrnong Rd, Ascot Vale.
Thank you to Sophia, and to everyone who came out on a Friday night to glue gemstones onto a paperback with us. More of this, always.