Vintage books fill the shelves of thrift stores, flea markets, and antique dealer shops. Once treasured items, representing the knowledge, art, and culture of their time, many lie unopened and forlorn.

In the age of Kindle and tablets, who needs those heavy, dusty books?

Let art come to the rescue. Rather than letting these relics fade into obscurity, many crafters have found new ways to breathe life into them through various creative projects. These projects often carry a sense of timelessness and classic beauty that makes them ideal for gifts or personalized home decor.

Crafting with vintage books is more than a hobby; it’s a way to preserve history while expressing artistic creativity.

A new hobby: Become a book crafter

Vintage books hail from an era when the presentation of the written word was almost as important as the words themselves. As the years go by and their materials deteriorate, rescuing them from the landfill can be an act of rescue and reverence.

To become a book preservation artist, learn to discern. As you browse second-hand stores or estate sales, look for old books with a distinct aesthetic quality. Worn, textured pages, sepia-toned illustrations, and often ornate covers evoke a sense of nostalgia and charm that modern books rarely possess. 

In crafting, vintage books can be repurposed in countless ways. To start, choose a specific project for your thrifting finds, bearing in mind whether you will use the whole book, selected illustrations, pages, or cover as your primary material. 

Popular crafting projects using vintage books

There are a plethora of vintage book crafting projects – ranging from easy to advanced! Choose your first project based on your comfort level with the materials, the books you want to use, and gift recipients you have in mind!

Book sculptures:

Artists can use old book pages to create intricate sculptures like this easy Book Angel. By folding, cutting, or curling the pages, these sculptures can range from abstract forms to detailed representations of objects, animals, or people.

Book picture frame:

Try this easy DIY tutorial to transform a beautiful book cover into a frame for your old family photos or children’s art!

Paper roses:

Vintage book pages can be cut and shaped into delicate paper flowers – the perfect decoration for a book lover’s bridal shower, birthday party, or afternoon tea. These handmade blooms can be used in bouquets, home décor, or as embellishments for gifts and cards.

Upcycled sketchbooks:

For a great gift idea, try turning old books into new sketchbooks. By removing the original pages and inserting fresh paper while keeping the vintage cover intact, you create a beautiful and unique sketchbook.

Altered books:

Altered books involve adding to or transforming an old book by drawing, painting, or collaging on the pages, sometimes even incorporating mixed media elements like fabrics, threads, or found objects. Altered books can serve as journals, art pieces, or even storytelling mediums, with each page telling a part of a narrative through art.

Framed illustrations or pages:

Many vintage books contain beautiful, detailed illustrations or decorative typography. These can be carefully removed, framed, and displayed as artwork. Doing so preserves the essence of the book while giving its contents a new life and purpose.

It’s cute and meaningful. 

One of the unique aspects of crafting with vintage books is the emotional connection many people feel toward these projects. A beloved book represents a piece of the past, and turning it into a work of art allows people to hold on to that history in a tangible way. 

The process of transforming an old book can evoke feelings of nostalgia, curiosity, and even reverence for the past, as each project invites the artist to engage with the material in a personal and meaningful way.

Be honest: Balancing creativity with personal integrity

But did you ever read it?

The pitfall, of course, is that in turning books into functional gifts or decorative art, we might forget what it is that made these books great in the first place. Ask yourself is you consider a book project:

• What moved the publishers to make these books beautiful in the first place?
• What was this book’s message and meaning for those who read it and loved it?
• Is my craft honoring that message… or just cannibalizing a pretty cover?

We shouldn’t overthink crafting, but when it comes to using books we should be authentically reverent for the gift of reading, the beauty of the written word, and the wisdom the past has on offer.

Crafting with books offers a unique blend of creativity and preservation. It provides a way to upcycle forgotten or damaged items, turning them into beautiful works of art that tell a new story.  

But it can also be a living reminder that as we play with a fun art form, we should also make time to curl up with a good book.