Decorating with Books, A Fun and Easy DIY

I love finding ways to change up the decor in my home for little to no money, don’t you?  Decorating with books is a great way to do just that.  A little burlap or chalk paint can transform an old book into a pretty decor accessory.

Supplies to transform old hardback books:

• Burlap or chalk paint in color of choice (see my recipe on how to save even more by making your own chalk paint)
• Old hard back books (You likely have several books you no longer use at your home.  But, if not, flea markets are a great place to look.)
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush for Mod Podge if covering with fabric
• Chip brush if using chalk paint

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Burlap Covered Books:

When I have a few burlap scraps left over from a project (like when I covered a bulletin board with burlap or when I made resusable fabric gift bags from burlap), I hold onto them.

With just a little bit of burlap fabric, I am able to cover a book pretty easily.  Stone Gable has a great tutorial for covering books.  I followed her instructions and I loved the results!  Check out her post for detailed directions!

Stacking books adds a little bit of height for more dimension in a table display.  I give some tips on how to style the perfect vignette here.

In the below photo you can see how I got a little bit crazy with buffalo plaid this winter.  I have since put it away because I’m ready for spring!  But, you better believe it will find it’s way into my home again next winter;-)

Painting books with Chalk paint:

Chalk paint is on more surfaces in my home than I can count!  Paint is such an easy, and fairly inexpensive, way to update a space.  The below table got a major makeover with my home made chalk paint recipe. I give a step by step tutorial for my Chalk Paint Recipe with Calcium Carbonate in a previous post.

While I was painting the table, I took a few extra minutes to paint several old books.  I have since spread the above stack of books into various places in my home as it was a bit too much Urbane Bronze in one space. By the way, if you are looking for a deep, dark neutral color, look into Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams.  It has my heart!

A few other places in my home where I used Urbane Bronze:  Updating old frames, Our front doors (inside and out), and our garage doors.  As I’m writing this, I can think of several other places I’ve used that color, I just don’t have photos. It’s a winner, you guys!

As a side note, if you decide to make your own chalk paint, know the final color will be a bit different than before adding the calcium carbonate.  Once again, read through my tips in this post for more information.

Painting the books was fast and easy.  What a great way to add to home decor by reusing items you already have.  In a previous post, I show you a number of other items that got a new life with some paint. Get some of my ideas here!

Removing the spine from old hard back books:

Very Violet is a home decor boutique near me that I just cannot get enough of. The staging of the farmhouse style home decor and other merchandise is simply beautiful. I love to pop in for inspiration as often as I possibly can. Below is a picture from Very Violet, using old books in a fun decor grouping.

As you can see, the spines have been removed from old books, giving them so much character!  She also uses a lot of jute twine to tie a grouping of books together in a decor display. Super cute!

I’m dying to do this with some of my books!  When I do, I’ll add pictures for you!

I hope you got some inspiration for decorating with books!

One of my favorite things to do with home decor is to reuse items I already have in a different way. What are some creative ways you have given old items new life in your home?  Leave a comment.  I love to hear from you!