15 Book Crafts to Upcycle Your Old Reads

Updated on 09/06/19

Old books are a dime a dozen, and they make an ideal crafting medium. In fact, there are several creative ways to recycle old books without needing to be an artist.

However, before you rip apart an old book, make sure it's not a valuable or collectible antique. Do a quick online search with the book title, publisher, and date to see if you own something rare. Be especially careful when modifying books with leather-bound covers or author signatures.

Once you know you have a book that no one else wants, think of ways to reconstruct it. These DIY book crafts provide tons of inspiration and step-by-step instructions so that you can make some unique and affordable decor pieces.

01 of 15

Whitewash Book Covers With Paint

Knick of Time

Old books can be dark and bulky, which might not fit with your decor if you prefer neutral, bright spaces. Angie from Knick of Time opted to give a stack of old books a farmhouse-inspired whitewash finish. Head over to her tutorial to find out how she did it.

White Painted Books from Knick of Time
02 of 15

Create Oversized Book Page Prints

The Navage Patch

This book craft is inspired by your favorite book without needing to rip it apart. If you have a rare antique book that you love, consider photocopying a few pages and blowing them up to create unique art prints. You could also head over to The Navage Patch and print some directly from her website.

DIY Oversize Book Page Wall Art from The Navage Patch
03 of 15

Transform Book Pages Into a Flower Bouquet

Lia Griffith

Do you want to make a bouquet for your wedding that will last forever? Lia Griffith's website has a ton of paper tutorials, and this one utilizes old book pages to make charming paper roses.

Vintage Book Page Flowers from Lia Griffith
04 of 15

Make a Paper Flower Wreath

By Stephanie Lynn

Once you have mastered making paper flowers with old book pages, you can use that skill to create this old world wreath. This tutorial is easy to follow and should be suitable for beginners, but it might take you a few hours to complete all the buds.

DIY Faux Curled Rosewood Wreath from By Stephanie Lynn

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05 of 15

Turn an Old Book Into a Clock

House of Hawthornes

This upcycled book project keeps the book mostly intact with the exception of the clock mechanism. Find out how House of Hawthornes added the clock face in their tutorial.

How to Upcycle Old Books into Clocks from House of Hawthornes
06 of 15

Decorate for the Holidays With a Paper Banner

Creative Green Living

Pennant banners are easy to make, and one book should supply you with enough pages to make a banner for each major holiday. Creative Green Living made this festive heart banner for Valentine's day, but you could alter this tutorial to work for any event, like a wedding or a birthday.

Make a Book Page Pennant Banner from Creative Green Living
07 of 15

Carve Out a Monogram

Ashbee Design

On first glance, it might be hard to figure out how you can carve a letter into a book. This tutorial from Ashbee Design will show you how she did it with ease. She can even help you customize the font you want to use.

Altered Books Monogram from Ashbee Design
08 of 15

Remove the Spine of the Book

The Inspired Room

Melissa from The Inspired Room is a wonderful stylist and always has the best house tours around the holidays. In this particular tour, she showed off one of her holiday decor ideas using old books. She ripped off the spine, wrapped the bundle in twine, and added some greenery. Check out her page for some more up-close details.

My Christmas House Tour from The Inspired Room

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09 of 15

Decoupage the Outside of a Teracotta Pot

Making Joy and Pretty Things

One of the simplest book craft ideas is to use the pages to decoupage something. This tutorial will show you the proper technique for adhering pages to a planter, which makes the planter look much more fitting in a vintage-style home.

Rustic DIY Planter Using Book Pages from Making Joy and Pretty Things
10 of 15

Print on Top of an Old Book Page

The Crazy Craft Lady

You may be familiar with gallery walls that are filled with old book prints. Many of those prints are customized with vintage decals like botanicals or insects. There are some prints you can purchase, but this tutorial will show you how to print directly on top of an old book page on your own.

DIY Book Page Vintage Botanical Prints from The Crazy Craft Lady
11 of 15

Add a Quote to a Stack of Books

A Fresh Squeezed Life

Many interior designers will tell you that a stack of books is a staple when they are styling a table or shelf. However, sometimes the books you have on hand are mismatched or have titles you don't want to showcase to houseguests. This tutorial goes through the process of painting and hand-stamping the covers for a customized look.

DIY Painted Book Stack from A Fresh Squeezed Life
12 of 15

Hide Valuables Inside a Book Safe

Girl in the Garage

Some book safes are virtually unrecognizable, but this upcycled book project is a little more obvious. The innards of the book are completely removed and a ruler is used to create the sides of the new box. Check out the step-by-step instructions if you want to make one too.

Repurposed Book Cover from Girl in the Garage

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13 of 15

Use Old Books as a Knife Block

A Crafty Mix

If you have some assorted chef knives that you're not sure how to store, consider this idea from A Crafty Mix. She used a few vintage books that go well with her farmhouse-style kitchen. The end result is attractive and functional.

Farmhouse Styled Knife Block from A Crafty Mix
14 of 15

Turn a Book into Your Favorite Word

The Kim Six Fix

Earlier, you learned how to turn a book into a monogram. If you want to take that project one step further, visit The Kim Six Fix to find out how to transform a book into a word. Four letter words work best, but you could also do someone's initials. She also carved a heart into one book, which makes for a nice accent piece on a bookshelf.

Scroll Saw Book Letters from The Kim Six Fix
15 of 15

Shape a Book Into a 3D Flower

Designed Decor

For those that like sculpting and working with their hands, check out this 3D book flower. This book project from Designed Decor is tricky to complete, but the tutorial will walk you through the process. Remember, practice makes perfect.

DIY Repurposed Book Flower from Designed Decor