Old Books, New Look!

Do you have very old books and is thinking of getting rid of them since they already have worn pages? Not sure of how to keep those books since you really don’t want them kept in your garage area?

Better think again! You’ll see that recycling those old books is a lot of fun! All it takes is a little patience and a dash of creativity! So, gather those old books lying around your household and let the adventure begin.

Napkin Rings

This will surely be a hit in any book lover’s party or any book club gathering. This napkin rings are so easy to make that it can be addictive! Prepare the following: old book pages, a 3-mil lamination which can be found in most copy shops, thin ribbon of your choice, scissors, and a hole puncher.

When all materials are at hand, the fun of making the napkin rings begin. First, measure a 5”x 2” strip of paper from your old book’s page. Choose pages that have interesting prints or characters on it. Laminate and cut it. Be sure to leave a small clear edge of the lamination enough to punch holes about 0.5cm will be ok. Laminating your strips will make it stronger to hold the napkins. Use the 2” side of your paper strips to punch holes. Do it for both ends. One hole in the center and the other holes near the corners. This will serve as your ribbon eyelets. Lace up your ribbons to tie up your napkin rings.

If you want to add a more personal touch to this, you can try to cut some letters out of magazines or colored papers to form your guests’ name. Stick it on the middle of your paper strips before laminating and just follow the same steps. Your guests will surely appreciate the effort and you can give it to them as souvenirs.

Candle Holder

This project will make a perfect candle holder for your study or living area. For this one, you will need thick old books, glass votive holders, votive candles, glue gun, masking tape, gel medium, waxed paper, binder clips, drill and hole-saw , carbon drill bit that is slightly bigger than that of the glass votive holders.

Measure the thickness of the books and then divide it by half. Tape the hole-saw drill bit using the masking tape with the same measurement. This will prevent you from drilling all the way. With the hole-saw bit, drill your holes in the book. You can make 2-3 holes and you can equally or randomly space them, bearing in mind that these will hold your candleholders. Get rid of any excess paper from the holes. Seal the pages together by applying a gel medium to the book’s sides, front and back covers. Do not forget to apply gel medium to the holes’ bottom and sides for a more finished look. Wrap the drilled books with waxed paper and secure with binder clips. Allow them to dry. Pile other old books and use the drilled ones as the top. Angle books in different directions for a more interesting layer. Put your candle holder and candles and light them up. Say hello and admire your one of a kind candelabras!