DIY Collage of Pages Bookcase

It’s likely you own a few novels you're never going to read again. So why not take one off the shelf and repurpose it? You can freshen up an old bookcase using nothing more than the torn-out pages of a finished book. This DIY Bookcase is a fitting addition to any bibliophile’s living room, bedroom, or study.

What you need

Bookcase
Paintbrush
16oz tub of wallpaper paste
Wallpaper smoothing tool
Pair of scissors
Book

Instructions

1. The pages of most hardbound books are grouped into smaller bundles glued to the spine. Tear out a bundle and rip the pages from it, one by one.

 

2. Use scissors to cut away the tattered edges. A waist-high bookshelf requires about 150 pages.

 

3. Remove the shelves from the bookcase, lay one shelf on a drop cloth, and brush on a thin layer of paste.

 

4. Place a single page on the paste and flatten it down with your smoothing tool.

 

5. Apply more paste and flatten down a second sheet so that the pages overlap. Continue until all sides of the shelf are covered by your collage.

6. Repeat this process with the other shelf and with the bookcase itself. Give the paper a few hours to dry.

7. Carefully slide the shelves back in. 8. Return your books to their happy, renovated home.

All done!