Updated April 2019 with more creative uses for old books including book craft ideas, fresh photos, and lots of inspiration.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try  | Creative uses for old books

Welcome! 

For those of you who love the written word and want it to be part of your aesthetic too, this post is for you. Pick up a new (old) book at the thrift store and get to work on one (or more) of these creative uses for old books.

I know some of you are cringing right now–how could anyone ruin a perfectly good book? Well, some books aren’t perfectly good anymore. Some are outdated, irrelevant, or already in a condition where they can’t be read anymore. So why not honor these books by finding creative uses for them that you’ll cherish?

A while back, my sister worked on a project with a library that had old books they were no longer shelving. They had tasked her with finding creative uses for the old books to give to the library’s donors as a thank you gift. What a perfect gift for the donors who obviously value books and reading.

The further we delved into repurposing books into new beautiful objects, the more discoveries I knew you’d want to see. You may have seen some of these beautiful book crafts before, but as a collection, they show the versatility of book crafts and the power of the written word. So let’s get creative!

So what can you make from old books?

I think you can make almost anything your mind can think up. I have classified book crafts into three categories: book page crafts, book cover crafts, and whole book crafts.

These examples are just the starting point, but they showcase different ways to utilize the parts of a book. And if you just can’t make one yourself, you can at least enjoy them for the beautiful creations they are. 🙂

Creative Uses for Old Book Pages

You only need the pages to do the following book crafts. Get out your pens, paint, and origami skills!

Creative uses for old book pages

Book Page Painting. Painting a watercolor on top of a book page is simply lovely–you get the beautiful combination of opaque words and translucent color that’s beautifully mesmerizing. Add in the details with a pen and your artwork just shines.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

Book Page Wreath. I’ve seen hundreds of book page wreaths with rolled pages, but I love this one with the folded pages even better.

Creative uses for old book pages

Printed Images on pages. You can actually buy this one from an Etsy shop (through the link) but I love the way the image looks on the printed page.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

Book Page Buttons–these are another Etsy listing, but I love the simplicity of these buttons. I’m thinking that if you used a waterproof shellac….they’d be adorable on purses and things that weren’t going to be washed.

Creative Uses for Old Book Covers

What if you love the cover, but just used the pages for the crafts above? The following crafts utilize the cover and spine, but don’t require any pages.

Creative uses for old book covers

Zipper Book Clutch. Sewing and books just seem to go together beautifully. These stunning zipper book clutches would be a beautiful cover for your tablet or phone depending on the size.

Creative uses for old book covers--a sewing box!!!

Sewing or Treasure Box Book. This sewing box is darling, practical, and stunning. Just use cardboard to create dividers the height of the spine. It would be so darling for embroidery projects too.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

Book Planner. Get organized or keep track of your thoughts while staying beautifully stylish with this one. This Vintage Planner is just the way to do it. Put in your filler paper, and keep your system going with a beautiful book cover.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It 12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

3-Ring Binder. Book turned binder–I love this idea. Take out the pages, and add a binder spine and you’ll have the most gorgeous 3-ring binder ever.

Creative Uses for Whole Books

Turn the whole book into a stunning display fit for book lovers everywhere.

Creative uses for old books

The link to this beautiful book page mobile is broken, so I can’t seem to find the original source, but I LOVE it. It’s simple and classic and makes you want to discover what’s inside your most recent book. It also makes me want to play with all the designs and hang it in a reading nook by a window. Heaven.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

Book coat rack. How original is this coat rack–out of books? It’s so much fun! Add it to the book page background and it’s a reader’s heaven. The stacked books give so much texture and color to the rack while the mismatched hooks add character.

Creative uses for old books

Accordion Folder Organizer–I love this because it’s super functional, includes sewing, and organization. I think I’d store notes from my kids and special (flat) treasures in it.

12 Amazing Book Crafts to Try | Mabey She Made It

Why not grow something magical in your book? This beautiful planter can be found at this shop on Etsy, and it’s simply gorgeous.

After curating this list, I am anxious to try a few of these book crafts myself. Which of these book crafts would you try?

More Creative Uses for Old Books

The ideas I’ve shared with you so far are so fun that I thought I’d add another section of creative uses for old books. Be sure to check them all out.

More DIY Book Crafts for Book Lovers

I've already given you 12 beautiful examples of book crafts, but there are SO MANY MORE that I couldn't stop there. If you're looking to figure out what to do with your old books keep looking below. Create any of these book crafts for stunning results and a great way to upcycle or repurpose those books you don't know what to do with.

Which is your favorite creative use for old books? I’d love to hear in the comments.

4.3 7 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
28 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Diana
Diana
8 years ago

This goes on my to do list and I pinned it on Pinterest as a reminder !LOL Yah I know unless I write it down or I pin it (I forget!). Thanks !!!!

Amy Wilson
8 years ago

I’m a writer, not a crafter, but I am going to beg, plead, and cry until my sister or my daughter make me that front door wreath. I LOVE it.

I love that mobile, too. Maybe I’ll double my pleas?

Thanks for sharing!

Erica
8 years ago

All of these are such great ideas! I’m definitely a bibliophile and doing some of these crafts to display around my house would definitely be right up my alley!

Vashti Quiroz-Vega
Vashti Quiroz-Vega
8 years ago

Hi Lisa! Loved these crafts. They’re great! Pinning!

Meghan
Meghan
7 years ago

These are all so beautiful but I could just not imagine destroying a book for art.

The Reading Residence
7 years ago

So now I pretty much want all of the above!

Rose
7 years ago

What a fun gathering of book arts creative crafts/artwork!
I will try and make time for at least two of your projects (with my own twist, of course!)
🙂
TY!

Ashley
7 years ago

Hello! Thank you for this beautiful roundup of book crafts! I’ve actually featured this post on my own little Pinterest roundup of art jouraling ideas and prompts, as a few of these crafts would look great in an art journal. You can check it out here (I’ve added a link back to your blog of course! 🙂 http://www.ashleypicanco.com/art-journal-page-inspiration/

Thanks for sharing!

Jax
Jax
7 years ago

I love several of the projects but can’t see how I can ever sacrifice a book to do it. It would be like wielding the ax at a beheading. The Library Society here runs a sale every year for the County Library, but the older books just go from the regular library to the Library Guild, run by the Society. We respect our books around here. My mom still has my Dad’s Encyclopedia Brittanica from 1966 with addendum every year until he died. I believe he read every page. I’ve had to promise to keep them as a set on… Read more »

Nancy
6 years ago

Amazing ideas! Thanks for posting..

Betty wammack
Betty wammack
6 years ago

Love the crafts. I have an old book.. paper very fragile. Hopefully I. Can give it a new life with some of these ideas..
love the watercolor idea and also the
Buttons.. thanks for the ideas

Mary Nelson
4 years ago

Thanks for posting all of these great ideas. I found the link for the book page mobile, http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2014/01/diy-book-page-mobile/.

Maureen LaBoa
3 years ago

Love seeing my bookmarks here, made from the spines of books beyond repair that are headed to recycling. And all my net proceeds are donated to the Semper Fi Fund, a top-rated 501(c)(3) that assists injured service members. You can see more of my work here: http://www.facebook.com/paintingforpatriotssemperfi Sadly, the blogger mentioned here took photos of my bookmarks without my knowledge, at a sale in my home, and then posted them on her blog, with a bogus tutorial, as if they were her own. Before I found out, it had been pinned on Pinterest over 4,000 times, without a mention of… Read more »

ruuneek
ruuneek
2 years ago

I’m looking for the book page buttons and can’t find your Etsy page link as it says to follow! Help and thanks for this connection.
Cheers,

Ngamihi
Ngamihi
2 years ago

Thank you so much for sharing your creative thoughts. I am inspired already and I cant wait to get started. I almost was going to get rid of my books until i saw what i can create with them. Thank you again. Ngamihi

Ali
Ali
1 year ago

why are the ´y´ and the ´e´ switched in the ¨mabey¨?

lhyatt54
11 months ago

I’m in a decoupage group on Facebook that uses different napkins and decoupages them onto each page in old books! Very pretty