Reusing old books

If you have a stack of old books, that no one will be using or needing, and the library does not want them, they can still have a new life!!

There are some books that even the library will not want need or take use as out of date text books from classrooms.  That does not mean these books are worthless.

Here are some great new fun ways to use old books:

• A stack of books can be used to make a lamp – you will need a stack of books, a drill, and a lamp kit with hard center tube.  First stack your books to determine the order you want them in then start with the top 2 books, clamp them together well then slowly drill through them in the center to make a hole through the middle  when you are through the books slide in the tube then use the tube to mark the next book – clamp the next 2 books together and drill through them – and repeat this sliding them onto the tube  until all the books are on the tube, then complete the lamp per the directions.


• Hard bound books can make a neat end table or side table.  1st pick a good stack of sturdy hard cover books.  Stack them up so that they are stable then take each book and glue the pages shut.  I find an easy way to do this is to take elmers white glue and mix it 2 parts glue to 1 part water in a plastic cup, then with an old paintbrush paint heavily the edges of the pages all the way around gluing all the pages together and gluing them to the covers. You will want to place something heavy on them to make sure the pages stay flat as they dry hard with the glue.  Then, once all the books and dried like giant blocks, using a more heavy duty glue like E6000 glue the books to each other in a stack in the order and style you like.  You can rotate each slightly, or stack them random or by size.  It is up to you.  Top it with a mirror, glass or Plexiglas square or round to make a table top.  If you are concerned with it tipping off you can glue this on also!


• Got a book cover that fell off a book?  Well drill a small hole in the middle and buy a clock kit.  You can get small numbers at the craft store (where you can also get the clock kit) and turn it into a neat clock!!  Some clock kits even come with the numbers.  Perfect for your home library!!