7 Fabulous Ways to Repurpose an Old Book
You’re a total booklover. You read books. Buy books. Check out books from the library. Do you have piles of old books stashed in the attic, garage or basement? The ones without covers. The ones that got dropped in a puddle or the bathtub. As a booklover, you hate to throw out a book but what do you do with the old or unwanted ones?
Crafts! You can craft using old books. I know. It feels like heresy to fold pages and remove bindings. But isn’t it better for a book to get a second life than to end up unwanted in dusty and cobwebby in a corner of your basement?
Try one of these fun crafts to repurpose your old books. Don’t have any? Visit one of our Used Book Sales. You’ll support fundraising for library events and services. And you’ll have books for awesome projects.
Repurpose an Old Book
- Make a gorgeous wreath from the pages of a book. Perfect decoration for the home of a booklover. Tutorial.
- Create lovely paper flowers from book pages. Decorate packages, cards, bookmarks. Tutorial.
- Make a picture frame. This is a great use for books that have lost their dust jackets. Tutorial.
- Make a ruffled garland out of book pages. Perfect for mantle or shelf. Tutorial.
- What if your bookshelf was literally a shelf made from a book? Awesome, right? Tutorial.
- Book page votive candle holder. If you’re thinking ahead for holiday gifts, this would be perfect for a teacher. Or your favorite librarian. Tutorial.
- Super cute idea – turn book pages into gift bags! Tutorial.
Altered Book How-Tos
Want something a little less homemade and a bit more artistic? Check out one of our books about
repurposing books
. 
Get inspired with Art Made from Books by Laura Heyenga. This showcases carved, sculpted and altered books as art. Alter This! by Alena Hennessey explains how to transform books into something more decorative. The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti gives directions for more than 30 projects. You can create crafts like wreaths or vases using old books.
