DIY Project: Books Inside a Book

Check out these miniature books shelved inside a regular sized book by Todd Pattison!

"Found and altered early 19th-century leather binding with fore-edge clasps. The bookshelves of the altered binding hold seventy-two blank leather- and paper-covered books which open and range in height from 1” to 1.5”. Working full time leaves only so many hours to pursue my own bindings, and I find that I normally spend several months or more completing a single full leather volume. Working on this piece allowed me to bind the same number of books in one night that would otherwise take a year or more. This tends to generate creativity and experimentation and also makes bookbinding pretty fun! 7.5 x 4.75 x 1.5 inches, 19 x 12 x 4 centimeters. Created 2009."

DIY Project: Constellation Book

What a wonderful way to teach a small kid astronomy! I bet these are easily made.

Book Shelf

A book shelf! Do you think you can really set things on it? Have you ever used books to do some crafty project?

DIY Project: Love Letter Seed Starter

DIY Project: Love Letter Seed Starter

Romance-haters beware! This DIY project might just make you barf. But for those of you who swoon for anything with a romantic flare, this is the perfect Valentine for your significant other. Here's a handwritten love letter that will sprout wildflowers if you plant it in the ground. So you can send it to your loved one (or he can send it to you! sigh) and then watch the words grow into wildflowers. A romantic gesture that you will never forget.

DIY Project: Ice Lanterns

DIY Project: Ice Lanterns

The perfect winter project! All you need is two buckets, some water, and a few branches of a leafy green and you've got yourself an ice lantern!

DIY Project: Book Christmas Trees

Perfect DIY project for all those boring days with no school, huh?

DIY Project: Terrarium Christmas Bulbs

DIY Project: Terrarium Christmas Bulbs

Who doesn't love (fake) terrariums? You can make these for Christmas, and then keep them around because they are just so lovely. These require no care because they utilize dried reindeer moss. No watering necessary!

Paint Pen

So, have you ever painted a room or a piece of furniture or anything that had corners? If so, you probably understand the woes involved in "touch ups." It's impossible to not miss spots here and there, or accidentally blob a bit of bright purple wall paint on your white ceiling. Well, for those little mistakes I have discovered something called the Paint Pen! The Slobproof Paint Pen lets you load up the pen and save it for years in case you need little touch ups here and there. It’s soooo much easier than storing bulky cans just for tiny touch ups.

If you have no idea why I would be so excited about something like this, save this suggestion for when you have an apartment and need to paint around a door frame. Then, young Jedi, know you will.

DIY Project: Pinhole Art

DIY Project: Pinhole Art

A fun summer project! If you are at all crafty, you should try out this neat pinhole art project that you can create into a folded card or a framed picture. You can do an image, words, or whatever your imagination can inspire.

DIY Project: Linen E-Reader Case

DIY Project: E-Reader Cover

E-readers. We're all getting them. Why not keep them scratch-free with a handmade case made out of an upcycled hardcover book?

*Disclaimer: As a librarian, I am in no way promoting the wonton destruction of books!! Please make sure it's an old, ratty one before you start tearing.

DIY Project: Giant Paper Flowers

DIY Project: Giant Paper Flowers

This is a fantastic project for those girly girls out there who want to make a "giant" statement. These are tremendous paper flowers from the creative team at Ruche for their spring lookbook. And here's a tutorial on how to make them. Neat!

DIY Project: Mason Jar Snow Globe

DIY Project: Mason Jar Snow Globes

I have been looking for just this project for a long time! It's easy, cheap, and seems really fun to make. All you need is a mason jar, some hot glue, fake snow, and a figurine for inside the globe. Have any of you ever made a homemade snow globe?

DIY Project: Upcycled Cranes

DIY Project: Upcycled Book Cranes

Ever wonder what you can do with that book that has lived its life, but you just can't bear to recycle? Well, here's an idea. Book page paper cranes! These little guys would look great hanging in a window.

DIY Project: Floating Cloud Lights

DIY Project:  Floating cloud lights

How fun! For all the girls out there, what a great, creative way to light your bedroom huh? I can't imagine it would be very hard to create either. Do any of you have any interesting lighting schemes in your rooms?

Secret Banana Messages

Write on bananas with toothpicks, and, as the day goes on, the message slowly appears. I think I have an idea for my next prank.

DIY Project: Wildflower Ice Cubes

The girly side of me couldn't help but post this neat how-to. You can put whatever you'd like in the ice cube, like raspberries or mint leaves or flowers. What a neat thing to do for a girls night in with popcorn, soda, and Twilight.

LED Light Slippers

These exist??!! For people who make lots of late-night trips for snacks, these LED slippers ($40) allow you to easily move around dark areas without turning on any lights.

Secret Passageway Switch

This secret passageway switch is so neat! This switch has been designed so that you can use it to activate a secret passageway or turn on a lamp. When placed in a bookshelf, this electrical switch uses your favorite hard-bound book to conceal its true function. An idea by Ben Light.

DIY Project: Tree Lamp

So what do you do with the odd looking branch you found hiking three years ago that you can't bring yourself to throw away? How about a tree lamp?

Anna Laurent says that "making a lamp from a tree branch is easy, inexpensive, and requires few materials. The primary challenge is planning a design, and finding a piece of wood that works—the concept and wood need to be considered together, as different types and shapes of branches offer different possibilities and limitations. After that, your best resources are creativity, and, as always, Home Depot's wealth of accommodating hardware and staff."

So who else is going hiking tomorrow now?

Step-by-step guide here.

DIY Project

Book planters. Could anything be more bookish/romantic/awesome/dorky? What a neat way to recycle books that are breaking down on you. And they look fantastic! I wonder what happens when you water it though...

{Images from Sceglier Bio}