Ways to Use & Recycle Books – What To Do With Old Books

Have you ever wondered if you can reuse or recycle books?

Books are everywhere. No matter where we travel, where we look, our eyes can typically spot a book. The beautiful thing about books is that they are timeless. They may age, but they will be around for forever. Plus there are so many ways to reuse and recycle books.

If you are a book lover, you probably have quite a collection in your home as well. Think of what you love about books.

Some people enjoy the simple pleasure of just having and holding onto a book while they are reading, while others love the smell of the pages of the book or even shopping for them in book stores.

Book lovers around the world love a great book. To say buying books is addictive in an understatement. Having an awesome book collection displayed in your home is a great focal point and conversation starter as well.

After you check out these ideas for what to do with old books, be sure to check out my post on ways to reuse everyday items.

Ways to Upcycle & Recycle Books

If you find that you love books, ask yourself what your plan is with the books after you are finished with them. Often times, many people donate their unwanted books or pass them along to friends and family for them to enjoy reading as well. I

If you find you have a lot of books and you don’t like to let go of your books, but can’t stand them just sitting on the shelf taking up space, here are some of the easiest ways to use and recycle books.

Take a look at this detailed list of great ideas to get you started with your book upcycling.

Recycle Books To Make Art:

Get creative. While books are fun to read, they can also be beautiful to look at. Use the pages to create fun designs as artwork.

It can be as simple as having an old book open on a table to reveal a fun heart shape as a focal point or be more elaborate by carving and design other cool features in the book. Be creative and unique with the designs you come up with! Hardcover books work best if you will be laying flat on a table.

Frame Pages or Quotes:

If you have a favorite book that you can’t part with, why not display the parts of that book that you love? The best way to do that is to find the page in the book that has a quote that you adore, and carefully cut out that page.

Then, frame it in an antique frame and place it on the wall in your house. Such a fun reminder of something you love, and you get to see it, read it and remember it each and every day.

Use As Knife Holder:

Another great way to reuse is as a knife holder. You can set a few books up side by side and tape them together. Then add a little burlap ribbon to it to make it look pretty. Set it on the kitchen counter and use it to hold your knives. Hard cover books are the best option for this.

You can see step by step details on how to do this in my post DIY Knife Holder Made From Upcycled Books.

Make Table or Nightstand:

Stack books for a make-shift nightstand. If you take a look at your nightstand right now, chances are you may have a book or two sitting right on top.

Why not have a nightstand made entirely out of books? It adds a sense of fun to your room, and also keeps your books handy as well in case you decide that you want to read them again!

You can reuse old paperback books, unwanted textbooks or even phone books to make a table.

Shelving:

Use them as shelves. Have a base or L shaped brackets attached to the wall and start placing a couple of books on top of it.

Two to three books should be enough to add. Make them be books that are fun colors, or have creative designs to really stand out.

Then, once you have a couple on the wall, place a small plant or something non-breakable on top of it. Instant shelf with character!

Just because you may feel that you don’t have a need for some of your old books, there are so many fun and different ways to reuse and recycle books around your home.

Have fun thinking of ideas and adding those interesting twists and turns throughout your rooms. Books can be so much more than reading items, and they can take your house by storm as your best focal points for your home decor!

Do you have a favorite way you like to use or recycle books?

What To Do With Old Books When You Don’t Want To Reuse Them?

If the books are still in good condition, you can always check to see if your local library could use them.

Another best place to take them is to donate to a community center, charitable organizations, and little free libraries. Or you can make your own little free library. Children’s books and old textbooks work great for those!

If nothing else works, at least put them in your recycling bin and take to your local recycling center.