Rags to Riches:
Recycling Books for Fun, Fashion and Furniture
Presented by Julie Ousley, Multi-specialty Consultant: Not a librarian, but hangs around with them. www.lastchancebooks.com. Friends of the New Braunfels Library Recycling Project, New Braunfels, Texas
I attended this session primarily because we have so many books left over from our book sale. Our Friends group is also in the process of being rejuvinated, and perhaps an additional source of income could be found by repurposing the books.
To get started, do a
search for “repurposing books” to see samples and videos. This will give you an idea of the possibilities.
Info from the presentation:
Lady Bird Johnson once said, “perhaps no other place in our community is more democratic than the public library, because the only entry requirement is interest”
They can be made into book purses, book furniture, jewelry, books safes, book shelves, planters, gun holders, memory books, scrapbooks, journals, etc.
All
types of used books can be used, and you don’t
need to be a Martha Stewart to produce a beautiful and unique product.
Altered
books could be a program for the library for just about all age groups.
·
Add
embellishments, etc.
· Some
people, especially baby boomers, have a problem with altering a book for any reason, but if you cut the book
into a shape (with a band saw) you are more apt to be creative. Books are not as sacred as they once were.
·
Embellish
a book into family scrapbook
·
Cut
them to shapes that people might like: cats, crown, dog, etc.
·
Use
“Hobby Lobby” scrapbooking embellishments
·
Art
teachers can use this as an art project
·
Great
program for teens – appeals to their “anarchist” tendencies
·
The
“cat book” turned into a journal of cat photos, etc. really good therapy
·
Use
a band saw to cut the shape
·
Tea
pot is the most popular
·
Turn
into recipe book – paste recipe cards in them
One customer at a book sale, seeing the "tea pot" shaped book stated, “I’m
going to buy me one of these tea pot books and turn them into a recipe book and
give them to my daughter-in-law. She’s kitchen impaired.”
Shaped books are nothing new. There are paintings dating from the 16th century showing a subject holding a book in the shape of a heart.
When shaping the book, it should be shaped with regards to the spine.
Purses:
Nancy Drew purse – fashion - popular
Insert middle
into the covers. They vary by the closure and the handle.
Basic instructions:
·
gUT THE BOOK
·
take guts out
·
decide how wide
·
glue gun pieces with hot glue gun
·
handsewing the edgest together
·
or make the insert in first with sewen edges and then
insert it with glue
·
e-6000 silicone glue
·
Hot glue gun tends to have wrinkles
Sold
sample purse for $40.00.
Old
textbooks make great books – large books make better purses
Cut
books can sell for $8.00 a book -- $5.00 is a good starting point.
Crafty bibliophiles
can “go to town” and make money
Teen
Programs (You must have liability insurance if you use sharp edges and hot glue
·
Altered
books
·
Book
safes
·
Ornaments
·
Picture
frames
·
Birdhouses
and clocks (need extra parts)
·
Every
time you add to an altered book, like paint, pictures, embellishments, etc.,
take out about every third page to make it thinner first – or just let teens go
with no rules
·
Allow
two hours for this program
·
Pop-out
books lend themselves to altered books.
·
Use
paper-type glues such as glue sticks, nor-bond, etc.
Practice with liquid polymer clay, but the book would not be collapsible
again.
mod podge would work … it can still remain sticky
“the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library
card.” Laura Bush
Craftster.org
is a vast archive of creative ideas
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach
a man to fish and you get rid of him for the weekend.
Nagging
from Afar:
book for daughter going off to college. Memories and nagging phrases that the
mother and father would say to the daughter…
Use
coupons from craft stores.
A human document: whole book is made into a new novel, by painting out
some words and making new sentences with meanings.
bookboxcompany.com
sells their book safes for 30-50 dollars
Readers Digest non-fiction makes good book safes. Pages are glued together.
How? Cut the
hole in the middle of the book, then clamp it and protect edges with wax paper
and add glue to the cut edge of inside… only glued at the inside edge – outside
edge stays the same. Apply an Elmer’s glue and paint it on… Protect the covers
so it just glues the pages… put wax paper between the cover and the pages and
clamp it.
·
The
book corsage is made out of the pages
·
Thisandthat.com
·
Bookshelves
are themed and tied together… sells for a fortune.
·
Old
set of encyclopedia sets can make book shelves.
·
Practicallycreative.net
·
Make
a lamp with old lamp from Goodwill.
Knowledge is free at the library; just bring
your own container.
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