12 Recycled Book Page Crafts

17th Apr2013

12 Recycled Book Page Crafts

by Dinah Wulf

Most of the 12 recycled book page crafts featured in this post all started from a book safe that I made a while ago. I tucked away all the pages I hollowed out and put them with my scrapbook paper. Every once in a while I’d get inspired and make something out of them. Here we go!

Book Page Heart Garland {Tutorial}

I made this for Valentine’s Day, however it’s a fun kid’s craft that you can do all year in any color.

DIY Recycled Craft Jars {Tutorial}

I made these out of ketchup bottles that I thought were interesting. This may be one of my favorites!

Book Folding Art Piece {Tutorial}

This was a guest post by Loren from Pandora’s Craft Box.

Book Page Napkin Rings and Name Cards

Here is an inexpensive way to add character to your table setting.

Recycled Book Page Art

Use book pages as the canvas for your paintings.

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath {Tutorial}

One of my most popular tutorials, this wreath cost me nothing to make! I made it from book pages, a wire hanger, and branches from my back yard.

Phone Book Origami Flowers {Tutorial}

This is a fun photo tutorial on how to make a flower out of phone book pages.

Paper Flower Magnets {Tutorial}

Use a craft punch and bottle caps to make these sturdy paper flower magnets.

Book Page Gift Bow {Tutorial}

Make a traditional gift wrapping bow out of strips of book pages or newspaper.

Water Colored Book Page Flowers {Tutorial}

Make any color flowers simply by water coloring your book pages.

Book Page Wreath {Tutorial}

Another favorite, this was one of the first wreaths I have ever made.

How to Make a Secret Book Safe {Tutorial}

OK, so this one isn’t really book pages, but you need to start somewhere! I actually did most of the projects above with the pages I removed from this book!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, DIY Artwork, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

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05th Mar2013

Easy Coffee Filter Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Ever since I purchase a reusable plastic coffee filter, I have had extra paper coffee filters in my cupboard. I took them out once before, and was inspired to make this coffee filter wreath that turned out quite nice. Since then I have search for recycled coffee filter ideas and have found quite a few. I particularly liked the coffee filter flowers so I decided to try my own version. Here is a SUPER easy coffee filter paper flowers how-to by yours truly.

Materials:

Coffee filters (4 per flower)
Small rubber bands or small hair bands
Wooden skewer or dowel
Old book pages
Scissors
Hot glue and hot glue gun

There are many tutorials on this but I found this to be the absolute easiest and quickest way to make them. I sat in my craft room for a few hours trying different ways! You can also dye them by dipping the filters in a little bit of food coloring and water and allowing them to dry on newspaper for about 30 minutes. I chose to keep mine white because I like the look of the starch white, old book pages, and green vase.

Step One:

Pinch the center of one coffee filter and bunch upwards as shown above.

Step Two:

Set the first “bunch in the center of a second coffee filter and repeat the same bunching motion.

Step Three:

Repeat Step Two until you have four coffee filters. Using a small rubber band (I used a child sized hair band) and secure the top of the paper flower “stem”. It will look like this.

Step Four:

Cut out paper flower petals out of old book pages.

Step Five:

Add a skewer or wooden dowel as a stem and hot glue on the book page petals.

Here is a picture of a smaller flower. For this one I used four coffee filters, however I cut them about a half inch shorter.

Hope you try it!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Centerpieces, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

23 Comm

04th Feb2013

Valentines Day Craft DIY Garland

by Dinah Wulf

This Valentines Day Craft DIY Garland is a fun and easy activity for kids. It’s very easy to do and involves using recycled materials. I always seem to work that in my crafty projects! This was another one of those quick crafts that I made with items I already had. My daughter and I always try to think of projects to do during the day and she had a blast helping me.

Here is what you’ll need:

Paper scraps (I used pink and red)
Old book pages
Paper cutter or scissors (preferably a paper cutter because it would be a pain to cut all those strips!)
Double sided tape
Felt (I had felt craft birds from the dollar bin at Michael’s Craft Store)
Ribbon
Hot glue

We cut several strips of paper and book pages into one inch wide strips in three different lengths with a paper cutter. OK, I completely forgot to measure the lengths but if I had to guess I would say 6”, 7” and 8”.

Fold each strip in half.

Next, using a small narrow piece of double sided tape, bend the curve of the heart in and tape the ends together.

It will naturally form the perfect heart shape.

We decided to layer the large (red) and small hearts (book pages), attaching with double sided tape. Using a hot glue gun, I glued a small felt bird with a gemstone eye to the tip of the heart. If you can’t find felt craft birds, you can always cut and make them yourself with a simple bird silhouette and felt.

We punched a hole in the last two hearts, and tied ribbon to it.

We attached the hearts together with tape and voila! You have a whimsical recycled heart Valentine’s Day banner.

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kids Craft Ideas

Tags : Bridal Shower Ideas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Valentine's Day

5 Comm

03rd Jan2013

Recycled Craft Jars

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I purchase things because of the packaging. If I know I can reuse things, I feel like I get my money’s worth. That’s what initially attracted me to Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup. OK, the packaging was a bonus but I also liked that the ketchup is an all-natural healthy alternative to the average commodity ketchup… much better for my little Mia! It has half the sugar and half the sodium of regular ketchup! So, after I used up my jars (BTW, I used it in my turkey and vegetable meatloaf…. And it was amazing), I decided to turn them into Recycled Craft Jars for my new craft room (that post coming soon).

Here is what you’ll need:

Clean Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup Jars
Drill
Drawer Knob
Old Book Page or magazine or scrapbook paper
Circle craft punch
Scissors and/or paper cutter
Ribbon
Double sided tape or glue

First, I cleaned out my jars (a regular and mini… so cute and perfect for glamping).

Next, I cut out an old book page to fit around the existing label; two inches wide for the regular jar and one inch wide for the mini jar.

I also covered the regular sized jar with some decorative ribbon.

Using a circle craft punch, I cut out a circle for the lid and attached it with double sided tape. I didn’t cover the mini jar because the knob I chose has a base that covers the label perfectly.

After the top is covered, drill a hole in the center of the lid.

Insert your drawer knob.

Ta Dah! Super adorable recycled craft jars or anything jars! I used mine for beads and straight pins. I have made these before with Mason Jars and they make the perfect candy jar and gift.

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Sponsored, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

02nd Jan2013

Top 15 Recycled Crafts and Projects of 2012

by Dinah Wulf

It is so tough to figure out what the top projects are for the 2012, especially when you have to sort through over 200 posts I wrote this year! I ended up narrowing them down specifically to recycled, repurposed, or upcycled projects. All of these got a lot of love from social media. They have been liked, shared, pinned, tweeted, emailed, stumbled upon, you name it! Here are my Top 15 Recycled Crafts and Projects of 2012. Enjoy!

A quick and easy project, this Recycled Coffee Bean Sack Pillow is an inexpensive way to add style to your outdoor patio furniture.
Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping out of recycled grocery bags is the way to go for any occasion.
There are several tutorials out there for this one! Here is the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to make DIY Colored Glass.
I found these night stands for $5.00 each! Here is how I Refurbished Garage Sale Night Stands.
What do you do with all those fabulous cards you receive every year in your mailbox? Recycle them of course into a Recycled Christmas Card Ornament. This craft was re-pinned over 500 times and counting on Pinterest!
Another steal for five bucks, here is a fun Garage Sale Bench Makeover I made by adding a cushion and pretty fabric.
A SUPER inexpensive way to add flair to your guest room, here is how I made Shoe Box Lid Wall Art out of old shoe box lids and stencils.
A popular retail wreath that you can no longer buy was circulating through social media this year. Here is my version of a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.
From an old iron plant hanger I found in a garbage pile, I made this Repurposed Plant Hanger chandelier for my daughter’s bedroom.
Another super easy and fun way to recycle those old Christmas cards is to make Repurposed Bottle Cap Magnets out of them!
You know you drink out of those plastic water bottles all the time! Make Recycled Water Bottle Flowers to embellish gifts or other craft projects.
This is a fun macramé tutorial I did to make a Recycled Mason Jar Lantern that is perfect for your back yard or patio.
Another fun water bottle project, make these Recycled Water Bottle Butterflies, a project easy enough for the kids to do.
This little sucker is pretty darn sturdy and has still lasted this whole year. Here is how to make a Recycled Magazine Bowl.
I reused an old painting I no longer loved and my daughter’s first baby blanket to make a Recycled Painting Organization Board.

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Refurbishing Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

6 Comm

05th Dec2012

Book Folding Tutorial

by Dinah Wulf

I am so excited to share one of my favorite tutorials from Loren Crane of Pandora’s Craft Box. This book folding art is a great way to upcycle an old book.

Written By Loren Crane of Pandora’s Craft Box

Here’s a new craft idea I learned it’s called book folding. I occasionally saw it in store displays and I found it fascinating. I could never figure out how they made them, then a couple of days ago I took a class and they showed me how it was done. It can be a very tedious job and mind numbing, but the outcome can be fantastic. I use them as decorations on my dining room table and on my fireplace mantle. They are so easy to make and convenient if you find yourself hating the idea of throwing a book away. I love to read and throwing a book away should never be an option. So here is a great way to keep using those books you no longer want or you can go purchase bargain books at your local bookstore. I love all my books and I just can’t see myself damaging them so purchasing $1 books is the next best thing.

Here I did a simple folding which is just folding the pages in half in the same direction. It’s so easy to make! It only took me about 15 min, but it depends on how many pages the book contains. I would like to mention that a book with 600 pages would be too difficult to manage. The first picture on the page was made with a book of 600 pages, but I had to rip out the last 50 pages because the pages started to rip at the top while folding and the book became very heavy.

Now I am going to show you a very simple fold that has a dramatic effect.

Step 1: First, you want to start with using a paperback book. Tear off both covers from the spine.

Step 2: Fold the first page into a triangle.

Step 3: On the following page, fold the top part to form a 90 degree triangle.

Step 4: Again make a triangle on the next page.

Step 5: Now do a 90 degree triangle from the bottom of the following page.

Step 6: Keep alternating and repeating the pattern until you get to the end of the book.

You can make different pattern depending on the fold of the page. The sky is the limit. I hope you have fun with it. Please do post your pic of what you came up with.

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Centerpieces, Craft Ideas, Guest Author, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

16th Nov2012

Thanksgiving Table Setting

by Dinah Wulf

I am so thankful for so many things this year. My family, of course, is a big one. I’m loving having a two-year-old right now. I love that she is a sponge. She takes in EVERYTHING and now that she’s talking a little more, it’s amazing to hear what comes out of her mouth in that sweet little voice. We read books all the time because it’s one of her favorite things to do. So, this year for a Thanksgiving dinner I’m having with some friends, I decided to do a book/reading theme for the table in honor of my little lady. So, here is my Thanksgiving Table Setting.

My table is so big that a normal table runner is too short so I ended up making my own runner by layering two tablecloths. I made place cards with pine cones, a craft punch, and hand wrote each name with a sharpie. I also made napkin rings with recycled book pages and ribbon. I adorned the table with some antique books I have in my collection. I added some natural elements like shells, nuts, pine cones, and moss to glass containers. I used some pine cones that we found on a walk we had the other day and spread them randomly on the table. I also spray painted some mini pumpkins left over from Halloween.

Tip: Pumpkins always go on sale after Halloween. Some places give them away for free! They can’t get rid of the fast enough.

Here are some more pictures.

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Category : Holidays

Tags : Christmas, Recycled Book Pages, Thanksgiving, Theme Party Ideas

0 Comm

24th Sep2012

DIY Fall Wreath Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Ouch my eyes hurt! I just spent the last, I don’t know, hour looking at Etsy for some DIY Fall Wreath Ideas. Oh man! There were some good ones and there were some bad ones with a capital “B”. I looked at 3200 wreaths to be exact and that wasn’t even a fraction of what was available. There were wreaths made out of every material from tulle to yarn and burlap to branches. There were even wreaths made out of recycled materials like cork, coffee filters, and book pages. There were wreaths made to look like Elmo and Mickey Mouse and wreaths made out of baseballs and flip flops…yes…flip flops. That one may be a submission on regresty.com. Yikes!

I’ve been trying to think of a fall wreath project to make and I’m stuck. Anyway, I narrowed it down to sixteen of my favorite. As you can see I was kind of drawn to burlap and yarn. My favorite is the Halloween one made out of gauze…it’s fantastic! I think I’d like to incorporate my house numbers in it but I’m not sure. But now after looking at 3200 of them, I’m even more stuck…Ugh. Here goes…

What about you? Do you have any ideas for me? Help!

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Category : Crafts, Holidays

Tags : Christmas, Craft Ideas, DIY Burlap Crafts, Halloween, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Wreaths

4 Comm

19th Sep2012

Summer 2012 Project Round Up

by Dinah Wulf

September 22^nd is the first day of fall! I wanted to end the summer with a recap of some of my favorite DIY Inspired’s summer projects and party inspiration. Here is my top eight summer 2012 Project Round Up.

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath – Full step by step photo tutorial for a wreath I made out of an old book, a coat hanger, and branches from my back yard.
DIY Cake Stand – Make your own cupcake stand or party serving tray with thrift store finds.
Owl Themed Invitations – A detailed step by step tutorial and YouTube video on how to make these adorable invitations with moving wings for an owl themed party. This is perfect for a baby shower or kid’s birthday party.
Summer Birthday Party – A butterfly and garden inspired birthday party complete with a cupcake decorating station and stacked hot dog bar and hot dog recipe suggestions. Also check out a short three minute YouTube video of the complete party details.
Stenciled Butterfly Wall Art – An easy way to upcycle an old unwanted painting with burlap, stencils, and butterflies perfect for a little girls bedroom.
Junk Drawer Crafts – Make magnets out of bottle caps, paint color swatches, Scrabble tiles, and old plastic gift cards, perfect for stocking stuffers or a fundraising event.
Repurposed Plant Hanger – A whimsical butterfly inspired chandelier made out of a unwanted plant hanger.
Recycled Jar Tea Light – Make your own tea light lanterns out of recycled jars and burlap for less than $1.

I had so much fun this summer creating these projects. These were just eight of my favorites. I’m looking forward to the fall and the upcoming Holidays!

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, DIY Burlap Crafts, Mason Jar Crafts, Party Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

12th Sep2012

Recycled Book Page Art

by Dinah Wulf

As you know, I am a BIG fan of recycled book page crafts. I have done more than one wreath tutorial, magnets, and flowers, just to name a few. I think my most favorite craft done to date is my recent book page butterfly wreath. One of my favorite online retailers, Shabby Apple, not only has the cutest selection of dresses, maternity wear, and kids clothes EVER, they have an arts and crafts section with the most colorful and creative recycled book page art pieces that I’m absolutely in love with. What I love about them is that they are printed on vintage dictionary pages and no two pieces are alike. As an added bonus, they are also signed by the artist, Zlatka Paneva. I may be crafty, but I’m not really an “artist”, so I decided to put together my favorite pieces perhaps you will be inspired by.

A is for Alphabet.

This one is customizable by letter!

An Elephant Never Forgets

My mother and my aunts always told me when I was little that elephants with their trunks up are good luck! This one reminds me of them.

Freedom!

This one may be my favorite. I love that the bird is carrying the key to set the butterflies free.

Seashell Fantasy

My daughter loves butterflies and the beach. This one is dedicated to her.

An now for the kicker… right now you can get 10% off site wide with the code: favorite10! Your welcome! This code expires 9/14/2012. Don’t forget to check out the fabulous clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Happy shopping!

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Sponsored

1 Comm

22nd Aug2012

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw this Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath I found on Pintrest.

A few of us were commenting on how to make it and inspired each other to take this project on ourselves (Thank you, Elise, Rose, Katie, Jo, Michelle, and Zach & Lois… you all are the best!). The best part? This wreath cost me NOTHING! This is my version.

I ended up making two, a large one and a small one. Here is my tutorial on how to make a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.

Step One: Make the butterflies

Materials:

Old book, map, magazine, etc.
Scissors
Pencil

I used an old book I had from another recycled book page wreath I made last year. At first I used a butterfly stencil that I had but after tracing and cutting the first three, I thought it’d be more fun to free hand them instead. It’s easiest to fold the page in half and draw half the butterfly so that you have two identical sides. Use a pencil so that you can erase any lines if need be.

Step Two: Gather the branches and prep them

Gather your branches. Remove any leaves from the branches and soak the naked branches in water. This makes it easier to work with and will cause less breakage.

Step Three: Construct the wreath

Materials:

Wire hanger (one for small wreath, two for large wreath)
Prepped Branches
Water
Sink
Hot glue

Simply unwind the wire and create a circle, twisting the end together. One by one, wrap, twist, and tuck each branch around your wreath until you have the desired width.

Allow your wreath to dry. (Optional step) Once it is dried, on the BACK of the wreath, use a hot glue gun to secure and loose branches.

Step Four: Assemble the Butterflies

Materials:

Pre-cut butterflies from step one
Plastic Beads, Pearls, Shells (anything you want to use for the bodies)
Hemp string (I found this to work best so that the antennas will stay erect)
Scissors
Hot Glue

You can use whatever your heart desires for the bodies. I chose to use plastic beads and hemp string. Using a hot glue gun, glue your beads together and while the glue s still hot, insert your antennas (as shown). Next, glue the body onto your butterfly. Make sure the butterfly wings are folded up so that they appear as if they are in flight.

Step Five: Attach the Butterflies to Your Wreath

Materials:

Assembled butterflies from step four
Constructed wreath from step three

I placed the butterflies on the wreath and moved them around to arrange them in the order and position I wanted BEFORE I used the hot glue.

Ta Da!

Here are some photos of the large wreath.

Here are some photos of the small version.

You can make these wreaths for the holidays and embellish them as you wish! I hope you try it! Email me a photo if you do… oh and say hi! dwulf@diyinspired.com

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Bridal Shower Ideas, Centerpieces, Christmas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas, Wedding Ideas, Wreaths

20 Comm

18th Jun2012

Repurposed Phonebook Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t know why I get SO annoyed when this shows up at my front door step.

The phonebook. Every year I get it; it stays in the plastic bag and gets shoved in this cupboard I can’t reach above my stove. When I get the next one, I throw the old one away (still in the bag). Since the internet and mobile phones, I don’t even know why they still waste paper and continue printing them. I mean, will my daughter ever even know what the phonebook is?

Anyway, in mid disposal and very close to committing DIY Inspired blasphemy, I remembered that I could not simply throw out this phonebook rather I would have to do my crafty diligence and repurpose it into something new.

I have experience with creatively recycling old books. I have made a book page wreath, book page water colored flowers, book page magnets, and I even hollowed out an old antique book to make a book safe. Since I get so vexed with its arrival, I decided I wanted to turn this phonebook into something pretty. Paper flowers were my answer.

There are several origami flower tutorials online. I decided on a variation of a Kusudama flower tutorial from Folding Trees. For origami tutorials, I think it’s best to just show the pictures of this repurposed phonebook flowers.

It’s quite simple. I used 6”X6” pages using a paper cutter. Each flower uses five square sheets. You can make them any size you wish. Consider using them to adorn gifts, make a garland, or make an entire bouquet. Here are a couple after photos.

Ok, so that’s two down, at five pages per flower and 1000 pages in the phonebook…uh…

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

7 Comm

07th Jun2012

Recycled Text Books

by Dinah Wulf

Recycled Text Books, Written By Caitlin Farkas (@Ms_Cait) of This Crazy Life

You, your kids or someone you know is graduating from school. After the congratulations are put to rest, the cake is eaten and the money collected there’s something left over that might seem to intrude on your living space; textbooks. Every student has them, but not all of them want to keep them.

You have a few options to consider. First off, be green in your thinking.

(whiteislyme.com)

Don’t be rude to mother earth and fill a landfill with pages of equations and historical accounts. Instead choose one of three ways to handle the piles of textbooks.

Option 1: Spruce up your bookshelf collection with a creative design on the textbook.

For example you can cover the textbook with half used paper from the printer, paper bags from the grocery store or left over scrapbooking paper to assemble a cute book collection such as the one shown below, from Apartmenttherapy.com.

Top the blank cover with text, such as “Honesty” or the subject matter to set your home décor mood. Add a bow to spice up the collection.

Picture borrowed from About.com

Another simple, ingenious idea arises from Isaac Salazar, who developed art from an unwanted book. He cut letters, words and names on the outer edge of pages to present a delightful construction.

(The-deamhome.com)

After you’ve decorated the once atrocious looking textbook, move your creative aspirations to the bookshelf. You can check out Freshome to reinvent or construct a more appealing bookshelf to now hold your decently designed book.

Option 2: Sell them.

Travel to a local buy back store or surf the net to EBay, Amazon or even Oodle Marketplace to resell those bulky books.

Most importantly to a recent grad, this option allows for income to flow back into the bank. By selling those textbooks to future students the longevity of the textbook is extended. Also, that student buyer saves a little dough by purchasing the book from you.

Option 3: Place the textbooks in the blue recycle bin.

They might be other various colors in your neighborhood. Recycle those boring books into your local bin to insure the items don’t destroy the environment.

Now you’ve rid your house of those disturbing piles of textbooks, while doing something great for the environment.

***Would love your vote for Top Eco-friendly Blog! You can vote once a day! Thank you!

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Guest Author, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas

1 Comm

12th Jan2012

Paper Flower Magnets

by Dinah Wulf

After making a Hollow Book Safe out of antique books that I inherited, I kept the left over pages in case I wanted to use them to make other craft projects. I ended up making these cute Paper Flower Magnets out of a few of the recycled book pages and beer bottle caps.

I actually made these book page flowers a few months ago but I wanted to wait to post the tutorial to see if they would pass the test of time. So far so good! My toddler has tugged and pulled and played and they remain intact… phew!

So here is a quick picture tutorial on how I made them. The materials needed are:

Pages from books (colorful children’s books would work nicely too)
Flower Craft Punch
Bottle Caps
Decoupage Medium
Paint brush
Magnets
Glue
Rhinestone Embellishments (optional)

The photos are self-explanatory, so here are a few tips.

Tip One: Make sure to decoupage both sides of the flower.

Tip Two: If you are using layers, let the coats of decoupage medium dry completely in between coats and layers (approximately 15 minutes). Use two coats.

Tip Three: When adhering the magnet, use a strong glue bonding agent.

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Category : Crafts, Kids Craft Ideas, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Mod Podge, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

7 Comm

21st Dec2011

Eco-friendly Gift Tags and Gift Wrapping

by Dinah Wulf

Here are some creative and inspiring eco-friendly gift tags and gift wrapping ideas in time for the holidays.

Check out these beautiful gift tags made out of recycled CD’s from our friends at Bellenza!

Also from Bellenza, here is a tutorial for making eco-friendly gift packaging with decoupage paper mosaics.

Personalize your gift wrapping. Check out this awesome idea from my brother. Shipped in a box, “Mike’s Private Stash” was filled with his favorite chocolate and candy. By the way, my hubby ate this entire box of candy in a couple days… did I mention there were probably twenty York peppermint patties inside and then some?!

Recycle old boxes and newspaper and make a cute gift basket. Embellish it with ribbon or craft a book page flower or book page bow.

Embellished Keys for gift tags. I don’t know about you but I can probably dig up a handful of keys in my junk drawer that I have no idea where they belong to. These sparkly lovelies are from My Salvaged Treasures.

Here are some unique ideas from A Subtle Revelry. Use cupcake wrappers to embellish a gift or use a shirt to wrap it up.

Finally, here are some pretty brown paper packages tied up with string from Pintrest.

Happy gift wrapping!

**I heart comments! If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions, please feel free to comment below. Is there a craft project you want me to try? I’ll gladly do my best to take on your craft challenge and I’m always looking for new ideas! Just let me know! Also, if you have a project you’d like to share, please email me at dwulf@diyinspired.com.

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Christmas, Gift Ideas, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas

4 Comm

15th Dec2011

30 DIY Gift Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Click on the link for DIY inspiration and tutorials for these 30 DIY gift ideas. All of them are clever, creative, and won’t break the bank. Only have ten minutes to make your gift? Scroll all the way down to see quick and easy budget-friendly DIY gifts by Overstock.com. Here we go… 30 DIY Gift Ideas!

Scrabble Art custom to fit any type of room

Clever Coat Hangers out of repurposed materials

Inexpensive Record Album Art

Make a Creative Clock out of just about anything

Sew a Tote Bag

Make custom Wall Art

Sew an Envelope Pillow

Make an eco-friendly Light Bulb Vase

Easy DIY Mason Jar Soap Pump

Repurposed Frame Tray out of your flea market finds

DIY Record Album Bowl from your old records

Easy and inexpensive Nursery Letters

Beautiful Book Page Wreath

Make an Ornament or add a personalized touch with a Scrabble Ornament

Do it yourself Votive Candle Holder

Make a secret and unique Hollowed Book Safe

Picture Frame Necklace Holder

Make a Coffee Filter Wreath for less than $5.00

Scrollwork Mirror from inexpensive items from Home Depot

Recycled Tote Bag out of plastic grocery bags

Only have ten minutes? Check out these ten amazing ten minute holiday crafts from Overstock.com!

Ten 10-minute Holiday Crafts infographic from O.co

Hope you enjoyed these 30 DIY Gift Ideas!

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas

6 Comm

07th Dec2011

Book Page Bow

by Dinah Wulf

I love being creative with recycled book pages and magazines. They are beautiful on their own, but when you can create something and upcycle them into something new, it’s even better! Here is simple picture tutorial on how to make a book page bow out of recycled book pages for your upcoming holiday gift wrapping. It’s so simple and easy and will add a little personality and flare to your gift! Who would of thought this was so easy!

All you need is recycled book pages, scissors, and double sided tape or a stapler. Also consider using, colorful magazine pages, scrapbook paper, construction paper, or ribbon. This DIY craft is really easy and adds that sweet personal touch.

That’s it! Super easy! For the bow pictured above, I only used five strips. It’s the perfect size for a ring box or small gift. You can make a large bow by cutting longer and thicker stripes. Play around with the size you wish, depending on your gift size. I hope you try out this simple book page bow!

Make sure you stick around and search for other recycled book page crafts… you will see that I am obsessed! :)

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Christmas, Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages

9 Comm

23rd Nov2011

Recycled Book Page Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

I have done so many recycled book page projects including wreaths to magnets and other embellishments! This one is one of my favorite. I saw these paper flowers in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine several months ago and I thought I’d finally try it out. I thought they would be perfect for gift wrapping. It’s a unique way to add personality to your gift. I kept all the pages from the Hollow Book Safe I made a while back so it worked out perfectly. Here is how you make these recycled book page flowers in three easy steps.

The only materials you need are:

Recycled Book Pages
Water Color
Water
Paint Brush
Scissors

Step One:

Simply water color both front and back of the book pages and let it dry completely.

Step Two:

After the pages are try, cut out petal shapes with scissors.

Step Three:

One by one, shape a rose by bending and folding each petal and pinching the bottom into the desired shape.

I hope you try it out! The color possibilities are endless!

Other DIY Pretty Paper Flowers:

Tissue Paper Flowers
Napkin Tissue Paper Flowers
Accordion Paper Flowers
Paper Cherry Blossom Display
Hanging Paper Flowers
Paper Flower Ornaments

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Gift Ideas, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas

7 Comm

21st Nov2011

Book Page Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

I’ve been looking for the perfect book page wreath to make because I have a damaged antique book with beautiful gold leafed pages. The book is a book of poems by Keats, however it is falling apart and some pages are missing.

There are several book page wreaths out there for inspiration. I finally came across one at this little boutique in Tustin (of course I didn’t have my camera on me at the time to take a picture). Because I’m such a cheapskate, of course I didn’t buy it rather I did peep at the fifty dollar price tag! Ha! I’ll make it myself for much less!

I wanted to get some tips before I tried to make it, so I did a little research. I couldn’t find an exact tutorial on the one I wanted to make, but I did find some good tips from Living With Lindsay and The Penny Parlor.

Believe it or not I had everything I needed already, so I only spent a total of $1.04 for this project!!! Here is what you need.

Plumbing Insulation Tube
Scissors
Duct Tape
Book
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Sharp Knife

The Penny Parlor had a brilliant idea of buying a “foam tube” from Home Depot. I had no idea what department a “foam tube” would be in and after research, it’s in the plumbing department. Here is a picture so you know what to ask for.

I chose the thickest tube for $1.94 ($2.08 with tax). It is six feet long, the perfect size for two (maybe even three)wreaths, hence the $1.04 TOTAL I spent for this Book Page Wreath.

Start by cutting the tube in half. Set aside one tube for another project. Carefully and gradually peel away the adhesive strip and stick the two sides together. I say “carefully and gradually” because this sucker’s extremely sticky.

Next, tape the two ends together with duct tape. It will look something like this.

Don’t panic like I did! If you pinch and massage the tube, it will form into a circle and end up looking like this.

Next, cut your pages out of the book. I found that the fastest and cleanest way is to use a sharp knife.

One by one, roll each page to make a cone shape and flatten the bottom part.

Using a hot glue gun, glue the cones onto the foam wreath. After your first layer, turn the wreath over. You have just finished the back of the wreath. I used approximately 35 pages for the first layer.

Start your second layer as pictured below (approximately 30 pages).

For the third, fourth, and fifth layer, you will glue the cone over the ring as shown below. After the fifth layer, “QC” your wreath and fill any open gaps with another cone.

Here is a picture of the back. Use a glue gun to attach a ribbon to hang it.

Here are some after pictures.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Artwork, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Decorating Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas, Wreaths

16 Comm

30th Sep2011

83 Inventive Ways to Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle

by Dinah Wulf

I have been blogging for over four months now. In the beginning, I knew I wanted to blog about things that I enjoy doing but I didn’t really have a plan. I’d take it one day at a time and just figure it out as I go.

A common thread ended up being the whole “green” thing. I have always been eco-conscious, so to speak, but I never really thought about it. Now that I have been blogging, and have it all down in front of me (and posted all over the web) I have gravitated toward recycling and repurposing ideas for my posts. I decided to count how many ideas I put out there and got eighty-three…holy crap!

It’s funny how things work out. I even have gone on the anti-plastic bag bandwagon and use only recycled bags at the store. I get irritated if someone hands me a plastic bag or I forget to bring one inside. Next thing I know I am carrying baby and all my purchases without a bag!

Since this has been an important topic for me, so here it is again… eighty-three crafty and inventive ways to reduce, reuse, & recycle and turn your trash into treasure! Just click on the link or picture to find out more!

1. Six Creative Ways to Recycle Old Crates

2. Five Clever Ways to Reuse Tin and Aluminum Cans

3. Six Cool Upcycled Seating Ideas

4. Eight Ways to Repurpose Old Record Albums and CD’s

5. Six Innovative Crafts with Recycled Beer and Wine Bottles

6. Ten Artistic Ways to Recycle Newspaper

7. Four Ways to Reuse Old Boxes

8. Six Eco-Friendly Crafts from Recycled Glass Bottles and Jars

9. Five Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Books

10. Five More Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Books

11. Seven Ways to Reuse Light Bulbs

12. Six Ways to Reuse Suitcases

13. Nine Ways to Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags

Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle!

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Category : Trash To Treasure

Tags : Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

3 Comm

12th Sep2011

Hollow Book Safe How To

by Dinah Wulf

Arguably, “vintage” is anything 50 years or older while “antique” is considered anything that is 100 years or older. The difference between the two always confused me, so naturally I Googled it. I tend to Google everything that I am unsure of (which is a lot of things). That didn’t help, because everyone and their mother has a different definition of the two meanings. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, I inherited boxes full of “antique” books. I had so many and in my diyinspired head, I wanted to do something creative with them.

I know what you’re thinking… so FIRST I tried to see if anyone else would enjoy them before I altered them. I took them to three different antique book shops and none of them would take any of them because they were in poor shape and were “not worth anything”. I put them on Craigslist three different times and only sold a handful. So now I am left with two plastic bins of beautiful antique books in my garage waiting
to be repurposed and given new life.

I recall writing a few blog posts on recycling old books, so I used my own site for reference and decided to tackle the book safe challenge. How hard can it be to hollow out a book? Here is the hollow book safe how to.

Materials needed: thick hardback book, decoupage medium or glue and water mixture, paint brush, sharp knife, metal straightedge.

Step One:

I wanted to keep a few of the front pages in tact to show the copy-write date and an illustration. I covered the front cover and those pages plus one page with plastic wrap.

Step Two:

I used Mod Podge, a decoupage medium, and a paint brush to seal the three edges. Make sure you saturate them with approximately three coats. Allow the Mod Podge to dry (about 15 minutes), meanwhile set something heavy on top of the book to create pressure.

Step Three:

Next, using a straightedge and a pencil, I marked the area I wanted to cut out.

Step Four:

Using a sharp knife and a metal straightedge, I carefully cut out a few pages at a time, making sure to remove small bits and pieces along the way. Take your time while doing this step.

Step Five:

After I reached the desired depth, I sealed the inside edges with Mod Podge and allowed it to dry completely.

Step Six:

I then used Mod Podge around the top edges and glued the extra front page on top. After a few minutes, I used the knife to cut out the center. This top page gives it a nice clean look.

Notes:

Save the book pages for other craft projects. Also, consider using ribbon to cover the inside edges or decorative paper to cover the inside back for a more finished look.

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Dinah's Tutorials, Gift Ideas, Mod Podge, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas

7 Comm

25th May2011

5 More Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Books

by Dinah Wulf

5 More Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Books

There were so many inspiring ideas out there for repurposing old books that I had to share five more! The purse seems like it would be a little heavy, and the desk, well it speaks for itself, but how ingenious! Here we go…

Create interesting artwork and make an invisible book shelf.