Creative Ways for Using Old Books and Magazines

If your home is like most, you probably have a stack of magazines you have read but do not know what to do with. You may also have many books that have been read and enjoyed some time ago. Rather than tossing these things, try one or more of the following creative ways for using old books and magazines.

Create a Unique Desk

This is a great way to repurpose books. You will need to have a large quantity of books and in varying sizes to make stacks the same height. A set of old encyclopedias and other hardcover books would work best, but you may be able to add in some paperbacks, too.

Decide how large you want your desk to be and mark that area on your floor with tape at the corners. Place the books, largest on the bottom, on the floor with the books in each taped corner. Continue adding books to your stacks until you get to the right height. Then place a piece of plywood, an old door, or thick Plexiglas for the top.

Make Recycled Paper

You can take some of the old books, phone books and newspapers you have laying around and create recycled paper. You will need a blender, paper, a screen with a frame and water. Look online or check out a book from the library to learn more.

Wrap Presents

There is no reason why you should pay a premium for wrapping paper for gift giving. Tape pages from a magazine together to create one large sheet; then you can use that to wrap your gifts. You can also use the magazine pages to make a bow by cutting the page into strips and taping them together.

Learn Origami

Origami paper can be expensive and hard to find. If you would like to try your hand at origami, you can cut the pages of a magazine to the right size and then begin folding. When you feel you have somewhat mastered the craft, you may want to purchase the right kind of paper and feel assured you will not be wasting your money.

Teach Children

This is one of the best ways to help a young child learn the sounds letters make. If they can recognize things, name them and can use safety scissors and glue, they can make a letter book. They can cut pictures out of a magazine that start with a specific letter and glue them on a sheet of paper. A is for apple, angels and anteaters. B is for boy, baby and boots. You get the idea. When your child has gone through the alphabet, punch the pages and create a cover for it.

These are just a few creative ways for using old books and magazines. Perhaps these ideas are enough to get your creative juices flowing and help you come up with ideas of your own. Think about other crafts that use paper and chances are you will be able to incorporate the pages of books or magazines.