While some bibliophiles cringe at the thought of destroying any book for any reason, the fact is that sometimes you end up with more books than you have the space to keep them. When that happens, a little ingenuity can breathe new life into old books by giving them a brand new purpose.
Hide Your Gadgets
Turn a vintage hardback into clever camouflage for your high-tech gadgets, from a charge station for your phone to a case for your e-reader or tablet to a cover for your laptop. All you need is an X-acto knife to carve out the pages. Glue in some strips of elastic to hold your device in place, and you’re good to go.
Upcycle the Pages
Once you’ve gutted a book to reuse the cover, what to do with all those pages? If you’re into arts and crafts, there are plenty of thing you can do. Use pages for photo matts in scrapbooks and picture frames. Fold them into origami shapes or use them to make paper flowers. Use them for all-occasion gift wrap. Print photos on them, or if you’re the more artistic type, paint on them with water colors. You can also use them in decoupage to cover furniture, Christmas ornaments, storage boxes, wall art … the possibilities are virtually endless.
Furnish Your Living Space
Books have a way of making a home feel … well, homey. Incorporating books into your decor comes naturally for most book lovers, but you can take it a step further by using books to actually furnish your home. For example, stack of coffee table books can make a great side table. A drill, a lighting kit and a lampshade are all it takes to turn a stack of old hardbacks into a decorative lamp. Use shelving brackets to secure a book to the wall to create invisible floating bookshelves. With a little imagination and enough books, you can turn your space into a book lover’s delight.
Sources/inspiration:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/292874781991908856/ (laptop case)
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/297167275387275182/ (phone charge station)
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/319474167288057570/ (Kindle cover)
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/116249234105103591/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/26951297741119303/
