3 Simple Ways To Decorate With Books

If you love to read, as I do, you probably have books all over your house that you don’t know what to do with.  As I’ve mentioned in some of my previous posts, I am all about multi-purposing items and using things I already have in my home to add to my décor.  There are so many ways to add books into your décor and today I will show you some of my favorites.

If you don’t have any old books in your house, the best places to pick them up are at thrift stores, garage sales, or many times your local library will be selling older books.  So let’s get right down to business and take a look at what to do with those books!

1. STACK THEM.

Take a few of those books from around your house and stack them up and tie them together with your favorite jute or ribbon.  To tie them, just stack the books, turn the stack upside down, place your twine vertically underneath the books and bring it around, then twist it and wrap it around horizontally and tie it into a bow. You can tie a charm to the twine or stick a sprig of lavender or your favorite flower in.  Add the books on a tray, a shelf, your mantle, or wherever you have an empty space that needs a filler.  You can either lay them flat or stand them up vertically.

Or, you can stack a few books and use them as risers for an item that may need a little more height or weightiness to it.  You can turn them to show either the spine or pages.  I prefer the pages, as shown below.  You can also use the books to add a pop of color to your decor.  [Side note: isn’t that ‘bee still’ candle adorable!  To check it out, along with many other cute finds, visit Whitney at Saved by Grace Co.]

2. PAINT THEM.

Yes, you read that right. Paint those books!  You can use any type of paint that you have on hand.  I happened to have an acrylic on hand that I used.

Open the book in the center and lay it down on a flat surface with the spine facing you.  You may need 1-2 coats of paint, depending on the coverage you are wanting.  You can paint it a solid color; or do a pattern, such as stripes or chevrons.  Make sure you also get the edges of the book.  Once they dry, you can stack them and tie a piece of ribbon or jute around them.

I want to note that the books are still completely useable and readable after painting them (you can even keep the sleeve to put back on should you ever decide to).  Notice I am painting the book “Bringing Up Boys.”  Being that I have 3 boys, it is very likely that I will be pulling this one out of my decor from time to time for reference.

Painting the books is one of my favorites.  It gives them such a soft, vintage look and would look so sweet in a little girl’s room.

 

 

 

3. DECONSTRUCT THEM.

This won’t be as exciting as a Chip Gaines’ “Demo Day,” but nonetheless, deconstructing is always fun. So go ahead and yank that cover off of the book!  If you have a soft cover, that is.  Those are the easiest to deconstruct.  For hard covered books, you will pull the top cover away from the pages and cut it with an exacto knife (or a kitchen knife, which is all I had to use). Do the same thing with the back cover.  Then, slowly peel away the spine, leaving the glue and paper strips that hold the pages together; otherwise your book will fall apart.  You can tear off the first few pages, such as the title and chapter pages.  Then stack them up and tie them together.

There are many other decor ideas for books, such as wrapping them in burlap or painting them with chalkboard paint and using chalk to write numbers on the spines.  I love being able to repurpose things and continue their use.  Using old books in your decor adds personality and character to your home.  So grab those books and get to reading… I mean decorating!

PIN FOR LATER!