You did WHAT with that book?

Welcome!

I used to manage a used book store. People would drop off books to be given store credit. Sometimes the books were in such bad shape, we had to recycle them. Sometimes the spine would be ripped, or pages missing or falling out.

I ‘rescued’ a few of these as I saw potential in the bits & pieces. This has left me with a tidy stack of books ready to be used for crafts.

Note: I would NEVER use a good, useable, readable book for crafts. That’s just wrong!

There are so many wonderful ideas for crafting with books I wanted to share a few with you.

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So why craft with books?

1. They are readily available.

2. It’s very inexpensive.

3. They are very versatile.

4. It provides interest over plain.

5. There’s a large variety of styles.

6. It makes good ecological sense.

7. It encourages recycling.

8. It teaches upcycling.

9. They are easy to work with.

 How many more reasons can you come up with?

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Here is a unique piece of furniture. This coffee or side table base is one of a kind.

Bobvila, Pinterest

 Worried about stability? You can always drill holes and place rebar inside to keep it steady. Too industrial for your tools?  Try thick wood dowels, cut to fit at the lumber store. This table was created with Reader’s Digest Condensed books. A great place to find them is at thrift stores and garage sales.

I think out of date encyclopedias would work well also. Top with a round of wood. Finish with a clear coat of varnish.

Another, similar idea -

DIY Furniture Ideas

I love the large clock face as the top on that one!

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Here are a few ideas to do with mostly just the spines of old books. You can easily remove these with a sharp knife. Some are best if you leave 1-2” of the book itself attached; look at the photos. For those, a small saw will work best.

Scully and Scully

First, buy a cheap trash can or use a smooth sided bucket container you already have. You can hot glue the spines all around the outside.

It’s best to use books all the same height for this craft. You can decoupage the inside with a matching paper first, if desired. Be sure to spray with an acrylic sealer.

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This next project uses spines with 1-2” of the book attached in varying heights. Attach to one side of a sturdy wood box. I think wood glue would work here.  When placed on a shelf, higher up next to ‘real’ books, you have just created a hidden treasure spot.

You can use the same technique with just book spines and cover a straight sided flower pot.

This photo shows a container actually inside a group of books.

Here is a good photo showing you how to cut a circle in one book, or a stack of books, and insert a plastic container with a bottom. Add a succulent or cactus and you are set!

You might end up with some smaller pieces of book spines, or have shorter books. Covering light switch plates is perfect.

Still have some extra book spines? They make fun bookmarks. Punch a hole in the top, and use a grommet or eyelet if desired. Tie on a tassel and you are done! Do they have a musty smell, or are in danger of falling apart even more? Coat them with a few coats of matte Mod Podge.

Pinterest

You can use the same idea, and upcycle the back of Little Golden books too.

notbyamber, Pinterest

Let’s look at some more creative ideas that use an entire book. These are perfect for books that are missing some pages, but are otherwise in good condition.

Drill some holes and attach hooks for a charming key holder. This crafter also drilled holes to hang the book, but you could attach a hook on the back with strong glue also.

Don’t forget to glue your pages so the book doesn’t fall open! Using a binder clip to hold the book closed while the glue is drying works great.

Ideas2Live4

The same technique is used to make these book clocks. You can buy clock works at most craft stores. A perfect gift for that bookworm who has everything, or to decorate a study.

With the next project you do need to do some sawing. Measure twice, cut once for the proper angle for the bottom book supports. Glue everything together securely before mounting.

You can insert a flat metal wall support for extra strength.

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For these sorting wall folders you want to remove all the pages from a book - perfect for an intact book cover, but the pages are falling out. Cut from sturdy cardboard a modified triangle, x2, one for each end of the open book cover. Refer to the photo.

Cover the ‘triangle’ with pages from the book. Line the inside of the empty book with book pages also. Hot glue the triangle into place, one at each end of the book cover. Hang with a hook attached to the back. 

In the sample photo Reader’s Digest Condensed books were used for uniform size.

This recycled book purse uses similar techniques, only uses fabric instead of the cardboard triangle used above. Add some handles (found at many craft stores) or recycle some from an old purse. Attach a fastener - could be a loop and button, pre-made closure or Velcro.

DIY Enthusiasts Blog

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The next project is super simple! Purchase some metal bookends. Fold a book around them and you have easy, super cute bookends! If you want to keep the book intact simply tie some decorative ribbon or twine around the book to keep it closed.

Wordpress.com

You can make a hidden treasure book by cutting out the insides of many pages. I find this to be rather tedious, but haven’t found a better way yet.

When you have your hole deep enough, glue your pages together. To make it extra nice, line the inside with book pages. These make very unique and desirable gifts.

By adding a few accessories like gluing an envelope to the inside top, you have a special place for your stationery and stamps.

Brit&Co

You can take a hollowed out book and make an enchanting fairy spot with a little bit of dried moss and some fairy-sized furniture and accessories.

…and another hollowed out book idea -

A tissue box cover!

OHSOTIF

You may have to do a little searching for just the right size book for a tissue box to fit, but well worth the effort I think!

Here is another hollowed out book project. For a pleasing view, take a plate and draw an arch at the top. Continue cutting pages with an arch top until it is deep enough for you.

Waxing Poetic

Now you have some choices. If you want to use it as a display for items to sell, cover an insert (piece of cardboard) with a layer of batting and a scrap of velvet. You can use T-pins to hang items from, such as key rings or bracelets. Safety pins also work well, if you don’t want customers to be able to easily remove items. If you want to use this idea for a personal decorative display, think about hand sewing your items to the velvet backing with just a few stitches. Either choice you will have a unique and attractive display.

If you have a larger book, why not turn it into a shadow box?

You can cut individual boxes, but then you have a lot of pages to glue. Or you can cut a large opening. Remove part of the cover of the book, as seen in the photo. Purchase inexpensive wood rods at your local craft or home helper store. Cut to size as many ‘boxes’ as you want. Cover with a few of the pages you have cut out. Glue together, then fit into opening and glue in place. Clever, and quite a bit cheaper than the shadow boxes you might purchase.

Finish with a picture hanger on the back.

Hint: if you bring exact dimensions, many home stores will cut wood for you for free or a very small fee.

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Are you ready to go find some beat up books yet? Check with your local library. Many times they get donated books that they cannot use and you can have for free. Ask at your local thrift store when their shipment of books comes in each week. Request to be there to take off their hands any books they cannot sell. (A small donation or offer to volunteer goes a long way for both places).

Visit your local second hand bookstore. They always have extra books they need to sell/give away for pennies.

School libraries are another option. They have limited space and need to make room every year for new books. They also sort out books that are in less than ideal condition every year.

I was originally going to make this blog about upcycled books and book page crafts, but I found too many good book crafts. If I had added in all the great page crafts additionally, this blog would definitely qualify as its’ own book! Recycled book page crafting will have to wait for its’ very own blog in the future.

Looking forward to sharing with you!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Many of the photos I have used had no one to give credit to, or were posted and re-posted so many times on Pinterest it was impossible to determine who the rightful owner was.

If you know of anyone who deserves credit, please let me know.

Some websites I checked out while researching this blog, in no particular order:

lightandlayer.com

Peanutblossom.com

Catchmyparty.com

willtiptip.com

Pinterest 

Shamrock Shenanigans

 Hello!

Card by inkspired, with hand inked ‘Polished Stone’ background

Let’s have some Saint Patrick’s Day Shamrock fun!

Found on Pinterest

 Did you know a shamrock always and only has 3 heart shaped ‘leaflets’?

I didn’t!

Card by inkspired, with Polished Stone background

A clover can have 3 or 4 ‘leaflets’, but they’re not always green!

Clover comes in white and purple too.

I didn’t know that either!

Here’s a fun Shamrock maze:

Best Coloring Pages, Pinterest

Here’s a fun 4-leaf clover puzzle!

TheTypicalMom.com

4 leaf clovers are found 1 in 10,000 give or take a few dozen.

So if you find one, you are considered lucky!

Here’s a fun way to add some ‘luck to your room -

Poshmark

Spiral Shamrock spinners

Cut a 4-6” circle. Starting at one edge, cut in a spiral design to the middle. Cut out a 4 - 6” shamrock or 4 leaf clover from green cardstock. Write message in white or gold pen. Attach Shamrock to one end of spiral card. (Glue, staple or tape). Attach other end to the ceiling.

Here’s another Spinner idea:

CraftCornerDIY

Use the same basic directions, only use a much larger piece of cardstock for your base circle. Attach several shamrocks to each spinner from top to bottom.

Iris Folded card by inkspired

Here are a couple leprechaun puppets you can string together either with string, brads or eyelets.

Leprechaun Puppets

Artwithcrystal.com

ThePurplePumpkin blog

Next I have for you some 

Recycled Postage Stamp Wall Art.

On a blank piece of paper, cardstock or poster board draw a shamrock lightly in pencil. Make it as large as you want. 8” can be a good size to start with, and easily framed.

Sort through a bag of used postage stamps. Pick out all the ones that are primarily green. Arrange on your shamrock shape. Set aside. Brush on about 3” x 3” square inside the shamrock shape with glue or Mod Podge. Press stamps into glue. Continue with small sections until the entire design is covered. You can finish coat it with a layer of Mod Podge or clear acrylic spray.

You can do this with any shape, any holiday pretty much!

Here are a few shapes to help you -

TheTypicalMom.com

 

Winterandsparrow.com

You can use these basic shapes for lots of different crafts.

Fabric Sachets & Pillows

Cut 2 from fabric and 1 from batting. Sew together, insides out, with a 3/4” seam allowance, leaving a 1 - 2” opening. Turn right side out. Stuff with batting and hand sew closed.

Depending on the size you now have a decorative pillow, or a scented sachet for your drawers (add a few cotton balls soaked in fragrance oil inside of batting, or use fresh herbs in a net pouch, inside of batting.

Betty Home Decor, Etsy 

Shamrock Pins

Make them smaller, sew on a pin to the back and you have cute pins to give all your friends.

Cut them a tad larger and catch a piece of braiding or ribbon in the seam, to form a loop. Attach a clip and you have a cute accessory for your backpack or purse.

Card by inkspired

Fun Fact:

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake 

is 55 years old!

If you have followed me at all, you know I have a love affair with beads. Here are a couple bead patterns to make:

Bead earrings and bracelet

I believe this is from PandaHall.

Kandi Patterns

Fun Fact:

The 1st USA St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in the 1760’s!

I found 2 similar versions of tissue paper suncatchers, so I’m posting them both.

Tissue Paper Suncatchers

CraftCornerDIY

munchkinsandmilitary.com

Cut out 2 shamrock shapes. If you have a Cricut it works great for this project.

Lay 1 shape on top of sticky side up sheet of clear contact paper. Next is the fun part. Start placing tissue paper shapes on top of the sticky contact paper. Shades of green and yellow are perfect. When your shamrock is full place 2nd shamrock outline on top, and finish with a second sheet of contact paper. Trim edges. Hang where the sun can shine through it.

Here are a couple more games:

HOMEMADEHEATHER.COM

CuteColoringPagesForKids.com

These pipe cleaner shamrocks are fun to make, and you can tuck them all over the house for a touch of whimsy:

Beaded pipe cleaner shamrocks

Onelittleproject.com

Cards with Polished Stone hand-inked backgrounds by inkspired

Fun Fact:

9% of Ireland’s population are redheads.

Here is a clever use of paper mache’ letters and pennies:

Lucky Penny Letters

Marzipan.com

Spray or brush copper paint onto paper mache’ letters. Doing a small section at a time, spread glue or Mod Podge generously on dried surface. Place pennies in rows. Alternate ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ as desired. Let dry. Finish with a couple coats of Mod Podge to seal.

So why Ireland and shamrocks and Saint Patrick?

Saint Patrick was a captured slave at age 16, in the 4th century. After 6 years he escaped and returned to Great Britain. He then went back to Ireland as a Roman Catholic missionary.

It is said he used the common shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Digital art by inkspired

Let’s make some garlands to decorate the house and classroom.

Shamrock Garlands

Irish flag colors garland

This simple garland is cut in the colors of the Irish flag.

Cut shamrock shapes from white, orange and green paper. String with baker’s twine or heavy thread or string. You can glue the shamrocks on, or punch holes and thread them onto the string. You could even tape them in place.

Book Page Banner

Homeroad

Use pages from a damaged book. You can run these through a color copier and print a shamrock on each page. You can also use a Cricut machine to cut out shapes from either paper or fabric. Glue these shapes onto the book pages. Finally, you could also use a stencil and acrylic paint to paint a shamrock on each page.

Fold the top of page over 1 inch. Sandwich a string in between folds and glue in place.

Fun Fact:

Ireland has no snakes, moles or weasels!

Vintage card

Next I have an inexpensive door wreath:

Puzzle Piece Wreath

Dollar Store DIY

You will need a jigsaw puzzle, acrylic paints, a paint stir stick, cardboard, scissors and glue. Optional ribbon for bow and hanging.

Cut cardboard in shape of shamrock. Paint puzzle pieces a variety of shades of green. Snip end off paint stick, and paint in rainbow colors. Layer puzzle pieces on top of cardboard cutout shape. Glue in place. Continue layering and gluing until you have several layers deep. Glue paint stick rainbow in place. Seal with acrylic spray sealer or Mod Podge. Add ribbon bow if desired. Attach ribbon on back for hanger.

Card by inkspired

Here is another great 4 leaf clover bead pattern:

PandaHall.com

Fun Fact:

Hallmark printed the first St. Patrick’s Day postcards of shamrocks 1910-1915.

These clothespin leprechauns I thought were pretty cute. Put a pin back on them and you have a great St. Paddy’s pin. Add them to a wreath. Glue a dowel or chopstick to the back and use as a plant poke or seasonal addition to a flower arrangement.

Clothespin Leprechauns 

I wish I knew who to credit this idea to.

You will need wood clothespins; a couple colors of green acrylic paint; felt scraps in green, yellow and black; a scrap of reddish brown yarn and glue.

(I like Aleene’s Tacky Glue).

Follow the photo for ideas of colors and felt placement.

A tiny silk shamrock tucked into the hat band would look super!

Found on Pinterest

This next wreath works up quickly and is super easy. You can add more decorations to it as you want. Sometimes plain and simple are the best, though.

Ribbon wrapped Wreath

Just Us Four, Pinterest

You will need a styrofoam wreath and 2 kinds of ribbon; glue and straight pins.

You could also use crepe paper to cover the wreath base.

Using a straight pin, pin beginning of base ribbon (or crepe paper). Start to wrap around wreath form, being careful no styrofoam shows through. End by pinning tail in place. Now go back and carefully lift ribbon at beginning and glue in place. If it looks like it doesn’t want to stay, use a pin to temporarily hold until glue is bonded. Repeat at end.

Start thinner, decorative ribbon in same way, wrapping more loosely. Glue both ends, tucking under ribbon so end cuts do not show.

Attach decorations with glue, holding in place with straight pins until glue is bonded.  Add a ribbon loop to the back, gluing and tucking ends under.

(A heavier glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue is essential for this project.)

Vintage sheet music, c.1911

Fun Fact:

The Chicago River has been dyed green every St. Patrick’s Day since 1962.

Here is a nice pattern to make a felt 4 leaf clover. Add these to a hat band, a lapel or decorate the above wreath with a cluster of them.

Felt 4 leaf clover

Molly and Mama

Did you know you can use your Cricut machine to cut felt?

Zentangle art

Use a simple outline of a shamrock or 4 leaf clover. (See above). Fill in with Zentangle doodles. Color with colored pencils if desired. Here are some samples of what I did:

Original Zentangles by inkspired

Here is a cute leprechaun to color:

Christina’s Creations

Fun Fact:

Several of the original Apollo astronauts carried clovers with them for good luck.

I hope you are inspired to try a few of these projects. Crafting is a great way to lower blood pressure, exercise a different part of your brain (which helps prevent dementia) and make a ho-hum place fun to be around. It is also a perfect opportunity for multiple generations to interact positively.

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by inkspired and KaleidoCam