Creatrope

Let’s go on record that the best thing you can do with a book you don’t want is to get it in the hands of someone who will enjoy reading it.  With the exception of your 2001 ASP.NET book, there is someone could benefit from your discarded books. That’s discussed elsewhere in this blog.

If you’re looking for a creative way to repurpose the books, I’ve gathered 25+ ways from the far reaches of the internet to transform your books.

Make a Box/Safe Out of It

Here’s a favorite.  A large hard-bound book with a less than engaging title makes a fine book-safe. Here’s a few more ways to make it.

Make An Unusual Bookend or Bookshelves

The books themselves can be repurposed into book ends.

Or you can use one of the books for the shelf itself.

… Or hook it into the hall vertically to display its cover art.

Beautifully bound old encyclopedias are unfortunately obsolete. They don’t even sell at garage sales or book sales. But they can have a second life as furniture.

Make Furniture

A chair made from books goes perfectly with your library.

Or less noble venues, such as this bar.

Repurpose Into Cards/Notes/Journal

Somewhat more approachable for the home craftsman might be to convert it into note cards or a journal or a blank book. Etsy has many reasonably priced beautiful pieces for sale, but they are not too hard to make yourself.

Make Jewelry, Art, Sculpture, Decorations

Transform your books into beautiful jewelry, art, and sculptures. Or perhaps a holiday tree?

… Or perhaps even back to stylistic logs!

Here’s some buttons and prints using book pages for inspiration.

Make A Clock

Here’s an interesting transformation of a book into a clock.

Make A Lamp

A reading lamp true to its name.

Clothing and Accessories

A few more classic transformations you might see. Convert the book to a purse.

Or use magazines!

Make a Birdhouse

Have the most literate birds on the block.

Make a Game

Interesting art from books (or in this case a comic book) make interesting game pieces.

Make a House

If all else fails, and you have enough of them, build a house!

Resources

As a source for approachable projects for book reuse, it’s hard to beat Instructables and Make. Etsy hosts many wonderful artists which can provide inspiration (or better yet, support them by buying their stuff!).

You can be the hero of your block by agreeing to recycle old encyclopedias.  The usual suspects of freecycle.org, or craigslist.com, or library book sales are a good source.