Got old books, maps, calendars, posters, sheet music, scrapbook paper, or paper bags? Don’t recycle, upcycle!
1. Book Binding! Crafting books is extremely easy. Grab an old calendar or an old poster, some paper, a bone folder, some embroidery thread, and a needle. Fold about 8-10 pages of paper in half, as well as your cover paper. Then stack all the paper together into a book and poke three holes through the fold of the paper. Use your embroidery thread to go through the middle hole (leave a tail of thread after you pull it through), through the bottom hole, up to the top hole and then back through the middle hole. Tie the thread that meets in the middle and you’re all done! Now you have a customized journal, planner, or notebook!
2. Envelopes! Why send a greeting card in a plain ‘ole white envelope? Make your own out of maps, sheet music, brown paper bags, book pages, and more! Deconstruct an old envelope and use it as a template. Place the deconstructed envelope on your paper and trace it (this will be the inside of the envelope). Then carefully cut around your template. Make sure to erase any pencil marks left over. Fold the paper into an envelope using the old one as a guide. Finish it off with some glue or double sided tape and you’re all set!
3. Wall art! Trace and cut shapes from novel pages, illustration pages, comics, sheet music, maps, etc. Then glue them in a frame whichever way you like!