All right, my friends, it is time to come back to the blog! I was spending quite a lot of time pushing to get Dark Owl's first two books out, and of course the regular holiday season requirements crop up, so the blog got pushed to the side. But I am happy to say that both The Dark Walk Forward and A Celebration of Storytelling are selling well and garnering five-star reviews!
Well, it's now 2021, and I am sure we're all still frustrated for whatever reason. We may still be stuck at home, worried about loved ones, restricting our time out of the house, all of those things that shouldn't be a part of regular life but feel like they're becoming so.
I've been trying to do more rather than just sit at home and sulk. We must take care of our minds and our emotions, so I've been taking on some tasks around the house that need attention. I'm reorganizing my extensive DVD/Blu-ray collection, gutting closets and throwing away trash while donating to charity, and I might paint some walls and rearrange some of the art I have up. I also took up sewing a while back, so I'll do that here and there, and I am also picking up color by number books.
So, I was looking at DIY crafts online, and I ran across this:
What??? How cute are these? And they are so incredibly easy to make and cost very little money--check out the above link. This is the kind of craft you can do while sitting in front of the TV. Binge and make balls at the same time! They give instructions on how to hang these, too.
Okay, I know, I know, BLASPHEMY!, right? Well, let's be honest: If you check with your local libraries and used bookstores, they will tell you that they throw away/recycle thousands of books ever year. Most of them are outdated reference books, like dictionaries or Windows 95 for Dummies. But they also have to throw away tons of mass market books, both hardback and paperback, that were bought while they were extremely popular, but read once and then sent along down the line. I mean, really, how many copies of Twilight and It can used bookstores and thrift stores really sell?
So why not put those books to good use and repurpose them? You can turn them into gifts for book-loving friends, do some redecorating in your house, all kinds of ideas abound when you upcycle books.
If you don't have books around your house that you would want to repurpose, I suggest going to thrift stores and used bookstores and pick through those $1 bins of books. Garage sales are your friends, too! And sometimes libraries have little bookstores, along with free book bins--my local one does. Of course, dictionaries and thesauruses are great for lots of words on a page that look very elegant. But you'll also find a lot of those hard copies of Oprah's Book Club picks, maybe some John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell. Even the paperbacks look really cool, old and faded and smelling like they were well-loved.
And what can make your project even more fun is if you theme it. Create book gifts for the holidays out of those Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks Christmas-themed books. Maybe make bookmarks from the spines of Stephen King and Dean Koontz books for your horror fan friends. James Patterson and Mary Higgins Clark could be subjects for the mystery lovers. How about a Harry Potter book cover purse or wallet for the book-crazy teen in your life?
Overall, I love to see books given some new love in new ways. And I picked crafts for this list that are inexpensive, no sew, and easy to do. I don't like a craft that requires a lot of work; this is supposed to be relaxing and fun!
Just click on the title of each craft for the link. And if you decide to make any of these, please let us know and we'll feature it on our social media pages!
Bookmarks from Book Spines from Crafts a La Mode
These are extremely fast to make. All you need are spines, some felt or perhaps strips of leather, a glue gun, ribbons, and eyelets. They don't even have to be old books--nowadays, spines from just about any mass market hardback have really neat foil fonts that are easy to read and look classy. Plus they're flat, so these bookmarks can be mailed to friends and family that you can't visit right now. Just a bookmark to say you're thinking of them.
Bookmarks from Book Pages from Rustic Crafts and Chic Decor
Here's another style of bookmark. You can choose passages from your favorite books, pages that have favorite quotes, bible verses, even encyclopedia entries, such as "Cat" for the cat lover in your life. Highlight your favorite sentences or words by underlining or drawing around them with colorful, good quality pens or colored pencils. Poetry or song lyrics would also do well in these type of bookmarks. How about the monster words from Cujo or one of the letters from Dangerous Liaisons? There are lots of possibilities here!
Book Page Rose Wreath from Betty Suzanne Creative Goods
This is similar to the book balls, only you use a styrofoam wreath and rose shapes from the book pages. You could probably use the same flower shape from the book balls on the wreath, and vice versa. Or a combination of both. Either way, you can always add a large bow to this piece to match your decor to finish it, or just leave it as is as a great conversation wall piece.
Book Page Vases from How to Nest for Less
Now I love this. I like having fake plants and flowers around the house (I kill real ones), and this is a great way to spruce up some really old vases I have them in. And wouldn't this make a pretty Mother's Day gift?
Book Flowers from Cooking a La Mel
These flowers look really easy to make--the steps are demonstrated in very clear pictures. A bit like origami, honestly. They could be used in all kinds of ways. I bet they could be put on the ball or wreath above. Or use floral tape to attach them to a pen for a fun way to write in your journal. (And the bottle is a Moselland Riesling cat bottle. I have a few of them myself! A very good Riesling, and you can find it in big box liquor stores.)
Tin Can Wall Organizer from Knick of Time
This one is a little more complex than the others, but if you're handy with a drill, I bet you can do this one. I have a small office, and this would be a great way to get my plethora of pens and pencils off my desk and out of the way. And you could also use Modge Podge instead of glue and water if you want something that is premixed.
Fabric Covered Books from Two Twenty One
I ran across a post that was simply about decorating with books, and I thought this was really neat. What a good look for the top of an entertainment center, a mantel, or a bookshelf... Well now, wait, you should be using bookends for the top of your bookshelf for more books! Ah, but I digress... And again: this craft is NO SEW, so that makes it even easier! Be sure to check the remnants bin at the fabric store--you can find all kinds of neat prints and fabrics for a great price!
Books as bookshelves? Why, yes! I really like this look. I have a lot of collectibles like Funko Pop! Vinyls, Hallmark ornaments, and fossils, so those things would look fantastic on these shelves! These also require a drill, but again, they're inexpensive and quick and easy.
Upcycled Old Book Purse from DIY & Crafts
Ah ha! I found a NO-SEW book purse tutorial! They use a pretty small book in this tutorial so it's more wallet-sized, but you can always go larger. Now, I wouldn't carry a lot of heavy stuff in one of these, but for going to a place where you just need your wallet, phone, a mask, and some hand sanitizer, it would be perfect. And those Harry Potter crazy girls will adore these--just get fabric of their Hogwarts house and they will be over the moon!
Enjoy these crafts while we write more about books and get some posts from guest bloggers soon!
~ Andrea Thomas
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