Ever had a load of textbooks from last semester that you just don’t know what to do with? I mean who wants to resell them; we paid hundreds of dollars for them for a reason: to keep them of course.
We use them as paperweights, as booster seats for kids, and even to squish pesky bugs with but these aren’t nearly satisfying enough … some creative element is missing.
To channel the inner suburban DIY mom lurking within all of us, I browsed the depths of Pinterest to compile a list of innovative book repurposing projects that we can use to beautify our dorm rooms and souls.
1. Paper Roses
Quill you be my valentine? (etsy.com)
Instead of posting your old lit textbook on Amazon, why not chop the pages up into tiny pieces and then meticulously glue them into rose-like structures? All this craft takes is a pair of scissors, a pen or pencil, some glue, and a lot of patience.
It’d make a great bouquet for a prospective intellectual romance or for some simple visually pleasing desk decor. To make this craft, here is an easy to follow guide.
2. Paper Pumpkin
www.creationsbykara.com
Impress your friends with this little pretend pumpkin; everyone else buys pumpkins from the store but you made one. This creation is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season and will prove that you’ve got an eye for taste. So forget carving pumpkins, carve your books!
3. Book…Shelves?
diyready.com
This one takes bookshelves to a whole other level. The books are now the actual shelves … This is absolutely revolutionary; we don’t have to go to Ikea anymore. Let’s just glue these suckers on the wall and call it a day.
Then afterwards, we can put our new textbooks on them as they wait in line to be turned into more shelves at the end of the semester.
4. Book Planter
diyready.com
Turning the remnants of dead trees into a planter is an amazing way to give novels an eco-friendly spin. Plants can rise from their fallen brethren, livening up your living space.
Hallow out your dense hardcover book, place some succulents, and voila you’ve got yourself a durable garden to tend to when procrastinating for midterms.
5. Headboard
diyready.com
I saved this one for last, because it’s the least feasible but most inspiring. This can be your last DIY college endeavor; once you’ve accumulated tons of unusable books throughout your academic career, you can convert them into a giant headboard at the end of your senior year.
Although, if you do it earlier the knowledge could potentially disperse into your brain through osmosis while you sleep at night. Either way, it’d make the perfect addition to any accomplished scholar’s home.