5 Ideas to Help You Recycle Your Books
Collaborative post.
Books, not only do they bring us hours of pleasure reading through the pages, but they are also used to decorate the home.
In fact, I found this post from Willow and Hall to be an interesting insight into just what people do with books.
In celebration of interesting bookish facts, I thought I would put together 5 ideas to help you recycle your books.
Use as Decor.
Of course, this goes back to one of the first things I said in this post. Quite often books are beautiful to look at and as such can be integrated into the decor of your home.
Using them as coffee table book and placing them on bookshelves, is just the start of ideas. In fact, some people are able to create pieces of art from books. While not everyone agrees with books being used with such a-way, I have some amazingly creative things made; such as lamps, tables and more!
There really are some inventive ways you can use books within home decor.
Host a Book Swap.
OK, this is something to do in a few months times.
But how about getting together with a group of friends and swapping books with each other?
Allowing you all, to get hold of some new reads, as well as recommendations from friends and family on the type of books you really might enjoy.
Bookcrossing.
I used to love Bookcrossing when I was younger and more able to read.
It is a website which allows you to register books and then release them into the wild for people to find.
The hope the finder will register the finding and then the eventual re-realise and you will be able to track the book on its journey, wherever it may take it.
Donate to Charity.
As I used to get through so many books, I often used to buy my books from charity shops and then donate them (or use bookcrossing with them) once I had finished.
Both buying and donating to your local charity shops saves you money by getting books at a cheaper price. While also helping to raise money for good causes.
You might just be surprised by the titles you can find, especially if you look in specialist book charity shops.
Use Them In Crafting.
Sometimes sadly books get beyond being able to be read.
If you have a book like this then how about using remaining pages within crafts?
Anything from making flowers and different origami items, to using as backgrounds in different projects, can really offer a unique take on old ideas.
So there you have 5 ideas to help you recycle books.
What is your favourite thing to do with books once you have finished reading them?
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These are marvelous ideas! I especially love the idea of bookcrossing!
It is such an amazing website and way to find new books!
Fantastic ideas. We used to book swap at my old work which was always good.
That sounds like it was a lovely way to share books!
I’ve always recycled my books to charity shops – way before it even became fashionable or eco-sensible to do so. Unless you have a huge house with vast rooms in which to install libraries, you just can’t keep every book you buy or get given. Apart from looking unsightly they’re a total dust-trap!!
I always donate my books to charity and also buy mine second hand too
Some great ideas, I have hundreds of books that I have read and would love to do something nice with them, I have swapped with other book readers but have a few favourites that I would love to use to try some of these ?
As myself, mum and Nan all love the same kind of books (psychological thrillers) we pass books between each other and when we have all read them we pass onto my sister-in-law who then donates them to her church to sell at fetes etc.
I think it is quite common to share books with those nearby if you have a similar taste.
Great ideas here! We have too many books in our room and running out of places to store them – they almost always end up in the charity shop!
Some good ideas thankyou for this article
Thank you – some really good ideas there! Rather than let them clutter up the house, I usually just donate used books to a charity shop for them to resell. Rather like the idea of getting creative with them though I’ll need to wait for inspiration to strike!
Ohh I hope it might give you some ideas on something else, of course, nothing wrong with donating to a charity shop ever!
I always donate mine to a local charity shop or give it away for somebody else to read
I donate mine to the church opposite, they run a small cafe and people can buy the books for a ssmall donation which helps older folk in our community
That sounds like a lovely thing to do! I bet it helps them a lot.
Mine go to a Hospice Shop, which I support by buying from them too
It is great to be able to support charities like that.
Honestly, these ideas are really smart!
I have a close relationship with my books, I could hardly give them away or let others look at them.
When I moved country, I let this possession go and I started giving them away as a donation or selling them.
I like the idea of creating a community or strengthen the local community by giving my books; for example, my new GP and my Uni dep have got bookshelves for bookcrossing.
Thank you fro sharing your ideas and stay safe!
That’s so cool that there are shelves for bookcrossing! I would love to see things like being normal.
I love reading and share my books with family and friends, and anything left over goes to Tesco where they have a bookcase and you can donate books there and I often pick up a good book there too. You pay a nominal charge and it goes into a charity box. I have put books in there before I do my shopping and by the time I go though the checkout my books are gone, which is satisfying knowing someone else can make use of them
Now you have said that I think our local Tesco might have something similar – it is such a good idea!
I have bookcases full of books I’ve read – we’re talking thousands! At the moment I’m asking anyone in my hometown if they need anything to read to stave off their boredom and using my daily walk to deliver in a bag wearing gloves to put in the bag and get them to there, knock on the door and leave them on the doorstep. It’s the only way I can help at this hard time, and though only 2 people have responded, I hope any others that see my post will take up my offer as I feel we all need to stick together and help however we can xx
Aww that is such a lovely thing to do – I think if we had room I would be the same having so many around the place.
Myself, mum and 90 year old Nan all love psychological thrillers so pass books between us. They then go to my sister-in-law who reads them before giving to the ,
Local church for their book sales / fetes.
It sounds like you have a good line of book passing going on with you all!
I treated myself to a Kindle at Christmas to reduce on the number of books on my bookshelves as I never know what to do with them once I’ve read them.
Kindles are great – they really help with space-saving, don’t they?
Lots of great ideas – i like the craft idea if all else fails!
There is so much you do if you have a creative mind isn’t it!
I used to keep all my books but then I figured it was a shame for them to sit unread on the shelf. So now I only keep my real favourites and pass the rest on to charity shops
It’s hard isn’t it – sometimes it is nice to keep them, but it can start to take up so much room!
If I’m done with a book, I always donate to charity. It’s such a good way to ensure that it doesn’t go to waste and someone else gets joy out if it.
Definitely I think that is something a lot of people do with their books.
I like the idea of as many people as possible reading them. So sharing, swapping donating are all good. Love the idea of a community library-swap in a telephone box and I always try to use these when I spot them
I always wonder where a book has been if I have got it second hand.
I love all these ideas! I have so many books but now I use it as decoration.
I think so many people do, books can look so good!
I either swap with friends or pass on to charity, but I’m liking the craft idea… Definitely have to give it a go x
Definitely something to try right now as well!
Great ideas for recycling books. We used to have a place in an RV park in Washington state that had the best trading library. I miss it so much.
That’s so cool – I love the idea of a trading post – I’ve been lucky enough to come across them from time to time.
There’s something about an actual physical book, especially hardbacks, that bring a feeling of peace and comfort to a home. Gracias for the ideas. BB2U
Definitely books are amazing aren’t they.
Great ideas. I’ve used them more so for decor and then some left overs to the thrift store.
It is so much fun all the different things you can do with books isn’t it?
Those are some wonderful ideas to keep in mind. The whole family loves reading and we often have too many books acquired over the years. We usually give to charity so that we can spread our passion for reading.
There’s nothing quite like passing on the love at times is there?
Some book jackets are wonderful to look at and my folks have kept intricate designs dotted around the house to decorate as well. We love a good book swap too!
It is amazing how beautiful some books can be isn’t it!
I have loads of books which I never bother with and the thought of recycling them had never crossed my mind. But recycling is always a good thing. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome – I hope it has given you some ideas on things to do with your books!
These are such great tips! I never thought to do this. I always use my books to decorate, to be honest, then I grab it when I want to read it again.
It’s so lovely to do that – I wish I had room to have books everywhere lol.
These are great tips, I have a lot of books in our house some of them are as a home decor and kept it for me and my kids to read and some of them are donated to the charity.
It is great to do a mix of things! It’s nice to keep books you will enjoy again as well.
I love the idea of bookcrossing! I have so many books that i can share!
It is so much fun – honestly give it a go!
My books are all in order according to their height which my husband hates as he wants them arranged alphabetically LOL
Oh I love that – Ash and I would be the same we both organise differently lol.
These are all great ideas, I find it so difficult to part with any of my books, but I really love the idea of a book swap or book crossing, I will have to give both a go.
It can be so hard can’t it? I ended up deciding to keep signed and limited edition ones as we don’t have much room.
Great ideas here! We often do a book swap with my children’s friends and go give away the books to our local church’s play group with kids grow out of it
That’s such a fun idea – kids can get through books so quickly too!
Reading a book is a part of my daily life. These ideas are really awesome. I might use some of these and also share with my friends
I love that people still enjoy books so much!
I buy most of my books from charity stores as I can’t really afford to buy new ones. Depending on the genre I may keep the book or give it back to charity. When books finally fall apart, I have used the pages for decoupage on wooden boxes, which I then use for craft storage. I’m also planning to use them to line drawers in an old chest of drawers I’m upcycling, again using decoupage medium or diluted PVA glue so that the pages stay put.
I think it’s nice to get books from charity shops – I always wonder who has read them before!
I have never used Bookcrossing before. I usually donate books now, but mainly have digital books anymore. I have made a couple of DIY’s with books.
I used to love it – I wish I would have known what happened to more of the books I set free though!
I usually donate books. I hate getting rid of them, but when I run out of space, I have to. So I donate and hope the people who get them love them as much as I did.
It is hard isn’t it – we don’t have room for a bookshelf here and I miss it – but I also can’t read books anymore so it’s probably a good thing.
I really enjoyed reading this post. These are all really great ideas. I typically will donate used books.
I think it’s quite a common thing to do when you are finished with them.
Great idea, we have managed to get rid of a few books by donating to varous places. A local train station has an area where you can take old books for others to use which I think is a great idea
That is so cool – I think our local cafe does now – so I’m thinking of digging out some old ones to take there.
I usually take all the books I’ve finished reading to our local used bookstore. Then, I trade them in and get some more.
The perfect idea – always good to swap them out!
I have a bag of kid’s books in the van right now to donate somewhere but due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are being cautious. People are unsure how long it can live on surfaces so I know some are definitely cautious about accepting them. Might donate in a few weeks after this ends (hopefully.)
It is so hard, isn’t it! I feel like I’m wiping down surfaces and cleaning my hands constantly!
Hi, I always pass them on to friends and family and get some that way as well. I also take them to our local telephone box in the village which was turned into a mini library many years ago.
Oh that is such a lovely idea – I love it! I’ve often wondered about making a mini library but I just don’t get through books anymore.