Green Libraries

While book donation is always an excellent option for letting those old tomes find a new home (there’s probably a local charity, library, shelter or school that could use them), the cold winter months might give you an itch to craft while you're stuck inside. This photo essay offers five ideas for DIY projects involving old hardcovers and paperbacks.

Photos and descriptions of altered book art projects created by artist Karen J. Hatzigeorgiou.

Facebook group for artists, curators, librarians, students, and researchers interested in artist books and the book arts.

Learn how to upcycle an old/damaged book into a new purse! You will need a hardcover book, fabric, handles, scissors, paper, and glue to get started. These instructions are for a no-sew purse, but I’ve mentioned the points where a sewing machine might be useful if you have one. Video from the
Midland Public Library Midland, Ontario

Overview of altered books with tips, ideas, and video demos.

Links to specific projects and general resources for making crafts out of old books.

This article examines how altered books can be used in art therapy with adolescents. An altered book is a published book that has been changed into a new work of visual art through various art processes such as painting, drawing, collage, writing, and embellishment. Books are discussed as an art canvas on which to provide stimulation, structure, portability, and increased opportunities for reflection. Altered book making is an option for art therapists who are looking for a means to provide containment while promoting creativity. Case examples of using altered books in art therapy groups with adolescents are featured.

Make this purse out of an old (preferably cheap and unloved) book. It's sure to be a conversation starter wherever you take it and you'll get to recycle a discarded book in the process.

Step-by-step instructions for making a desk lamp from recycled books and a lamp kit or recycled lamp parts.