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Reprinted Care2.com by Becky Striepe February 12, 2013

There’s something special about old books, isn’t there? They have a certain feel to them, a certain smell. If you have some old books in your stash that aren’t readable anymore, you don’t have to relegate them to the recycle bin. Try some of these book crafts instead!

When you’re looking for old books to craft with, you want to be respectful. A book that’s falling apart or missing pages is a no-brainer for crafting, but if you have a book that’s intact, you might want to think twice about cutting it up. Do a little research first! You don’t want to cut up something rare and valuable for your crafting.

OK, so you know your book isn’t a priceless first edition, but would it have value to anyone else? It doesn’t feel right to cut up a book that you could donate to a local school or library. Now that we can read on our Kindles, iPads, and even our smart phones, I feel that books don’t always get the respect they deserve. The point of upcycling is to take something unusable and make it usable again, so a perfectly readable book that’s still relevant might be better off somewhere besides the crafting table.

1. The book purse – This is the classic reclaimed book craft!

2. Book journal – Old book + recycled paper = awesome journal! Don’t worry – you don’t have to get your supplies at Walmart. Your local craft store should stock all of those materials, or you can order them online.

3. Glitter pinwheels – Your kids will love making – and playing with! – these cute pinwheels made from old book pages.

4. Book headboard – Do you have a bunch of old hardcovers that are falling apart? Turn them into a colorful headboard!

5. Book jacket flowers – If the book itself is in pretty good shape but the jacket is horribly stained, pull it off and turn it into cute flower bows.