We have piles and piles of books at our house. Bookshelves are great, don’t get me wrong, but I have been itching for a new way to display our ever increasing book collection. And since I love the art wall idea so much, I decided a book wall would be an equally great solution. And the best part is, the books are still fully functional for reading. They can be taken down and put back up in just a few seconds.
If you already have the books and a few other very basic supplies, it won’t cost you a penny. *Book lovers: don’t worry. No books were harmed during the making of this project. So anyone can try it!
Materials: 1. Hardcover books 2. Velcro 3. Scissors 4. Level (optional)
How To: 1. Grab a handful of your favorite hardback books (yes- you’re going to want to use hardbacks. paperbacks don’t work as well). 2. Arrange them on the floor in various ways until you come up with a pattern that you like. 3. While keeping your books in their arrangement, individually cut and apply two strips of velcro to each book (use more if the book is especially heavy). One towards the top of the book and one towards the bottom, both horizontally. Each strip should be about one to two inches shorter than the width of your book. 4. Start at one end and move to the other, securing each book to the wall with the velcro strips, following the arrangement you created earlier on the floor. You can work from the middle out instead if you’d prefer. It doesn’t matter. A level might be a good tool to use as well if you have one. 5. Once everything is secure, you are done.
Now you can pull down a book and put it back up whenever you would like. And when you’re not reading, you have a colorful (and original) piece of wall art. Its a real conversation starter when you have company over.
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Stunning Reuse Ideas for Old Books and Maps - Earth911.comNo problem. 🙂
papernstitch-Brittni
Thank you very much Brittni
DawnHey Dawn. I haven’t had any trouble with the covers staying closed at all (probably because of where I strategically placed the velcro). But if you do have trouble, I’d recommend just using a piece of double sided tape on the inside cover. That seems to work well. Good luck! 🙂
papernstitch-Brittni
I absolutely love this idea, but how does the cover stay closed when it is hung up?
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DIY Gems: The Weekend Edition | The Row House Nestgood question emily. i’m not sure if there is a way to get the books to adhere to the wall without using velcro. the books i used aren’t super light, so it was the only supply i could think of that would work.
papernstitch-brittni
I love this! Is there any way to avoid “ruining” the back of a hardcover book with taped velcro? Thanks so much for the lovely idea.
Emily[…] What to do: 1. Gather a bunch of hard cover books. (No books? No problem-try the local library-sometimes they have book sales). 2. Arrange the books on the floor in various ways in order to determine how many books you will need for the wall. 3. While keeping your books in their arrangement, individually cut and apply two strips of velcro to each book (use more if the book is especially heavy). One toward the top of the book and one toward the bottom, both horizontally. Each strip should be about one to two inches shorter than the width of your book. 4. Start at one end and move to the other, securing each book to the wall with the velcro strips, following the arrangement you created earlier on the floor. You can work from the middle out instead if you’d prefer. You can use a level to make sure everything is straight. 5.Once everything is secure, you are done. {Directions adapted from papernstitchblog.com} […]
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MES PETITES MAINS // magazine » Entre leurs 4 mursHi Susan. Yes, it will come off pretty easily. The only problem you may have is that if you have a lot of layers of paint built up on the wall the velcro is on, you may remove a layer or two of paint from the wall when you pull the velcro away.
papernstitch-Brittni
I love this idea, but I live in an apartment. Will the velcro come off the wall easily?
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Torsdagsfavoriter « ColorfullifeHi Katie. Thanks so much for letting me know about your post. And (of course) for featuring my tutorial amongst all those other great ones. Have a great week. Thanks for stopping by.
papernstitch-Brittni
I like this idea! I featured it on my blog! come check it out!
katiehttp://punkprojects.blogspot.com/2010/10/make-it-monday.html
Great idea Julia. This would be perfect in a child’s bedroom. Imaginative and organizational. And thank you Monika for the compliment.
papernstitch-Brittni
This would be so cute with children’s books!
Julia SpencerThis is a GREAT idea! I really love it. I have books everywhere, I love reading. Thanks for this!
MonikaThank you Van, Stan, and Linda for your comments. And Van – I am sure you are being to hard on yourself, this project is so easy! Anyone can do it.
papernstitch-Brittni
This is such a charming idea. And I love the color palette of those books.
lindaThis is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a long time. And the bonus is that your books are still usable! Fab! Stan
Stan Williams -- The Elegant ThrifterThis idea is absolutely gorgeous! It looks so clean, tidy, and modern. Excellent design skill you have there! 🙂 If I tried this it would come out an eclectic mess, like a haunted library gone wrong.
VanThanks Heather. I don’t know about you, but velcro is always one of those items that I know I have somewhere in the house, but it always takes me forever to find it. I need to make a special drawer for it or something because I use it all the time.
papernstitch-Brittni
this is amazingly clever!! love it. so simple and chic. im digging for my stash of velcro right now!
heatherThank Pilli! I am so glad you like it. You’re right- this would be great for a workspace.
papernstitch-Brittni
I really REALLY love this one!
Such a great way to keep your most inspiring books close to your working space!
*thanks!*
pilli pillipilli pilli