10 DIY Ideas That Will Repurpose Those Old College Textbooks That Are Collecting Dust
Where do you keep your college textbooks after you have graduated? Are they hiding in a corner somewhere collecting dust or you threw them in the back of the closet because out of sight, out of mind? You should probably dust them off or go find them then because you will be surprised at all the fun things you can create from those clunky college textbooks that are just hogging up your living space. Repurpose them and give them a new life so those hundreds of dollars you spent on a textbook you barely opened once are not completely wasted. Here are 10 DIY ideas on how to bring those crummy, old textbooks into the new era of your life.
1. Textbook Safe
Hide away your valuables in your old textbooks and no thief will even think to look through The History of Philosophy to find your grandma’s diamond earrings. It might not be the safest place to store that thick stack of cash you have been saving or the most secure location for your precious jewelry, but in a pinch, it works just as great as any heavy metal safe. Also, it will be way more inconspicuous!
2. Textbook Laptop Case
If those dusty books that are wasting away in your closet could be transformed into sturdy protection for one of your most valuable possessions, why would you keep them locked away in the closet? Protect your laptop, which holds all the important data you need in your life, by giving it a nice, hardcover home with a new case made from your old textbooks. Your laptop can take a serious beating while you travel back and forth from work to home and those pretty laptop cases that you buy online always get scratches. You won’t have to worry about scratches with these textbook covers, not only because they are strong and durable but also because you won’t be heartbroken if the Philosophy title gets some scrapes.
3. Book Clock
Who really has the space for those beautiful and giant grandfather clocks? It is such a shame that you do not have the room for them because they can add such style and sophistication to your decor. If the classics are your decorating style, you will love this compact, book clock since it gives your bedroom the same, refined aesthetic. With some dark brown paint and some gold lining, you can easily disguise Organic Chemistry as a vintage novel.
4. Textbook Nightstand
Everyone accumulated so many textbooks during their college years that you could stack them all up to make multiple impromptu nightstands. Well, you can bring back a blast from the past by turning that cheap college hack into a real, modern piece of furniture! With a nice glass top and some glue, you can easily recreate this textbook nightstand. It will look like it was always meant to be a beautiful, artistic statement and you will barely recognize it as the same pile of crummy, old textbooks that were wasting away in your closet a few hours ago.
5. Book Purse
Have you been shopping around for a new purse and you just have not been able to find what you want? Have you looked at that dusty corner with all your college textbooks recently? Your next favorite purse might already be sitting within your home and you haven’t noticed it as a diamond in the rough. All you need to do is dust it off and add some personal touches before and before you know it, you will be strutting down the street with your eccentric, one-of-a-kind purse.
6. Page Lanterns
We make so many DIY crafts with computer paper when your college textbooks have 400 or more pages of long text that you do not read or even skim through. Save some money and reuse the paper that you already paid money for! Turn those long paragraphs and diagrams into these beautiful, paper lanterns and give your living room some mood lighting when you put flameless candles inside. Who knew that statistical data could be so romantic?
7. Book Monogram Letter
These textbooks were such a big part of your college life and now you can reinvent them to become reflective of your current life. Transform a textbook into a monogram letter or letters and add some additional flair to your office. This project could take some time since you will need to carve your letters out of hard covers and hundreds of pages but it will be worth it to see such a sturdy piece of art at the end. Tip: choose a textbook with fun pages that will look good on display.
8. Textbook Charging Station
Hide away those messy wires with this textbook charging station and people would never have guessed that your phone was charging. You will have a lovely display of books and your phone will look like it’s casually resting against your books. This is also a great phone holder if you want to watch videos and charge your phone at the same time.
9. Book Vase
Why would you want a boring, glass vase when you could have this beautiful and original book vase? Not only does this look super cute in your home but you can be sure that this vase will never shatter into a million pieces on your floor. Your poor feet won’t suffer from an unexpected encounter with a shard of glass next week. Your perfect vase will last season after season and you do not need to mess around with a dustpan.
10. Floating Book Shelf
What a great optical illusion this bookshelf is! Give your room a magical element with these floating bookshelves and you will never want to go back to those original wooden shelves again. This is also the perfect way to showcase some of the books you have. You can literally put that prized book series up on an pedestal.
