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Crafting

8 Ways to Decorate Your Home with Books

8 Ways to Decorate Your Home with Books
 
Making book page table runners, via Offbeat Bride
 
Books are for reading, yes, but did you ever consider them as part of your home decor? I’m not just talking about books sitting on a shelf organized by color. Click around DIY blogs and you’ll see instructions for repurposing books into everything from storage to hanging mobiles.
 
For me, there’s only one issue with book DIYs: I can’t stand the thought of cutting up a book. A few years ago I had the brilliant idea to carve out the pages of an old Singer sewing book to make it into a storage cubby. After I flipped through the book, I realized I didn’t have the guts to take a knife to those gorgeous pages. 
 
If you feel the same, ease the pain by crafting with books that have yellowed, stained, ripped, or missing pages. Hit up your local flea market or Goodwill to find books you’re not emotionally attached to. The other option is to buy the decor so that the guilt of destruction lies with the creator.
 
Whether you decide to craft or buy, here are a few ways to use those precious books as decor around your house. 

Posted by Ashley Little

Crafting

Come out and Celebrate Pom-Poms in Brooklyn—2 dates!

Make. Wear. Show. Share. POMS!

We’re thrilled to announce two super-wonderful events to celebrate the pomtastic release of Lexi Walters Wright and Sarah Goldschadt’s new craft book: POM-POMS!

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Crafting

Craft-A-Thon Summer Roundup!

Here are a few highlights from the Summer Craft-a-thon!

Posted by Sarah Goldschadt

Classics, Crafting

Jewelry for Book Lovers: An Etsy Roundup

Need some book-related bling for your jewelry box? Here’s a collection of some of the most creative and unique pieces on Etsy that celebrate literature: necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks, and rings that celebrate (or are made from) books.

Posted by Maria Vicente

Crafting

Spring Craft-a-Day Recap!

Spring Craft-a-Day Recap!

Here are a few highlights from the Spring Craft-a-thon!

Posted by Sarah Goldschadt

Crafting

Eight Literary Hats You Can Totally Crochet Yourself

Crocheters of the world, take heed! You don’t need Funny Hat Day as an excuse to look for new ideas. Browse no further than this handy list of literary hats and their corresponding online crochet patterns. The best part? You don’t need to be kid-sized to wear the finished products in the case of nearly every listing here. (Since one of my goals for 2013 is to improve my beginner-level crochet skills, I don’t have any patterns of my own to share, but I’ve got no problem highlighting the work of other brilliant yarnworkers).

Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker Hat
For those of you feeling a bit more mysterious, or even ingenious, you can download a free pattern designed by Colleen Sullivan (pictured above) and impress your friends with your elementarily excellent needle-ship. If you’re really really into the idea of solving mysteries, you could try out this advanced-rated pattern with no photo of what the finished product should look like. Are you game enough to find out?
The Cat in the Hat’s Hat
This is, perhaps, one of the most iconic literary hats in history–it’s right in the title! Dr Seuss’ famous Cat in the Hat character wears one of the goofiest hats around, and you’re just a few quick stitches away from joining him. Rebecca Goldsmith has an excellent pattern for sale at the Desert Diamond Etsy shop that comes with instructions on making the hat in four differnet sizes.

Posted by Kristina Pino

New Releases

Dog’s First Baby
Dog’s First Baby
By Natalie Nelson
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
By Grady Hendrix
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
By Grady Hendrix
Horrorstör
Horrorstör
By Grady Hendrix
The Baby Owner’s Manual
The Baby Owner’s Manual
By Joe Borgenicht , Louis Borgenicht, M.D.