Okay, so upcycle your old books into gorgeous home decor — that’s the big idea. I know, it sounds like one of those Pinterest rabbit holes where you’re like “Oh cool, I’ll just fold some pages into a heart” and next thing you know you’ve got paper cuts on both thumbs and a half-burned candle sitting dangerously close to a stack of paperback romances from the ‘90s. Been there.
Here’s my confession: I used to be one of those people who treated every book like it was sacred. Like, the idea of cutting one felt like a crime against humanity. Then one day I walked into my basement and realized… I basically had a library’s worth of dusty old textbooks and yellowing paperbacks nobody, not even Goodwill, wanted. The kind of books you can’t even sell for a quarter at a yard sale because they’ve got that faint musty smell (like your grandma’s attic but with a hint of sadness).
That’s when I thought—what if I turned them into something I’d actually look at every day instead of letting them rot in cardboard boxes?
So yeah, I went full DIY gremlin about upcycle your old books. And honestly? It was fun. Messy, but fun. And now my living room looks like a quirky bookshop exploded in it, which is basically the aesthetic I’ve been chasing since college.
Let me show you some of the weirdly satisfying ways you can upcycle old books into home decor. Warning: some of these involve scissors. Sensitive book lovers, proceed at your own risk.
1. Stacked Book Side Table
I started with this one because it was the least intimidating. Basically, you grab a bunch of sturdy hardcover books (sorry, “Precalculus: Functions and Graphs,” but your services are no longer needed) and stack them up like you’re building a weird Jenga tower. Glue them together if you want it permanent, or just balance them if you’re brave and/or childless. Pop a tray on top and boom — instant side table.
Pro tip: It looks even cooler if you alternate the directions of the spines so it feels kinda “artsy accidental.”
2. Hollow Book Storage
This one makes me feel like a spy. You cut out the inside of a big, thick book (something like an old atlas or dictionary), glue the edges, and suddenly you’ve got a secret compartment for… well, honestly mine just holds chocolate I don’t want my kids to find.
Would James Bond hide M&Ms in a hollowed-out book? Probably not. Do I? Yes. Absolutely yes.
3. DIY Book Page Wall Art
Listen. I am not a painter. My stick figures look like they’re melting. But tear out some book pages, slap them into a frame, and suddenly I feel like an art curator. Sometimes I doodle little sketches or quotes over the text—messy, Sharpie scribbles. It feels very cool coffee shop in Brooklyn that also sells kombucha on tap.
4. Floating Book Shelves
This one’s sneaky and makes guests go, “Wait, how is that book floating on your wall?” Basically, you mount a small L-bracket to the wall and glue a hardcover to it so it looks invisible. Then you stack other books on top. The bottom one hides the hardware, and you’ve got a “floating” shelf.
My mom thought I bought mine at Urban Outfitters. I told her I made it. She didn’t believe me. (Rude.)
5. Rolled Book Page Wreath
You ever see those fancy seasonal wreaths at Target that cost like $60 and immediately think, “I could make that myself”? Yeah, this is your chance. Roll book pages into cones, glue them in a circle onto cardboard, and suddenly you’ve got a shabby-chic wreath. Bonus points if you spray paint the edges gold—instant holiday vibes.
6. Book Spine Bookmarks (Ironic, I Know)
This one feels a little wrong but also kinda funny. Cut off the spines of old books (ones you don’t mind parting with), laminate them or just slap on some Mod Podge, and boom: you’ve got bookmarks made from books. Bookmarks from books. It’s like book-ception.
7. Table Runner of Torn Pages
Okay, this one I saw at a wedding once and my brain hasn’t stopped thinking about it. They had taken old book pages, taped them together in this rustic, haphazard way, and laid them across long tables as runners. It was gorgeous. Very “woodland fairytale with twinkle lights.” And guess what? It cost basically nothing.
8. Book Planters
Yes, you can plant succulents inside old books. I was skeptical too. But you hollow out a rectangle, line it with plastic, add some soil, and suddenly you’ve got the most Instagram-worthy planter of all time. My cactus is currently thriving inside “Accounting Principles, 7th Edition.” Poetic justice, honestly.
9. Book Lamp Base
This one was a little… let’s just say “electrifying.” I tried stacking a bunch of hardcover books, drilling a hole through them, and running a lamp rod through the middle. It worked. Kind of. I may or may not have shocked myself in the process (don’t tell my husband). But when I plugged it in, it looked like something straight out of an Anthropologie catalog. For like $15.
10. Paper Flowers from Book Pages
I’ll admit, this one tested my patience. You cut pages into spirals, roll them tight, then let them loosen into flowers. Glue them onto sticks or wires and suddenly you’ve got a vase of “flowers” that never die. I gave some to my neighbor and she thought I bought them on Etsy. (Nope. Just me, scissors, and a glass of wine.)
The Emotional Part (Because Yes, There’s Always One): upcycle your old books
Here’s the thing: it feels a little weird at first—cutting into books. Like you’re breaking some sacred vow you made with your middle school librarian. But once you get over that guilt, it’s actually really freeing. You’re giving these old, forgotten books a second life.
And every time I look around my house now—at my hollow book candy stash, my floating shelves, my cactus growing out of “Advanced Microeconomics”—it feels like I made something out of nothing. Which is kinda the whole point of home, right?
Outbound Links:
- Paulo Coelho interview — The Guardian
- Sylvia Plath bio & works — Poetry Foundation
- Original “Crying in H Mart” essay — The New Yorker
- James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter — James Clear
- Matt Haig’s blog — Matt Haig
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