The Easy DIY That Turns Thrift Store Book Pages Into Cute Decor

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The thrift store is a great place to find a wide variety of books, including stunning coffee table and art books. If you're able to find older books with gorgeous prints or graphics, they could hold pages worthy of removing and framing. Or, if you're looking for a more interesting way to display the prettiest leaves of a book, you can try your hand at this easy DIY project. Instead of locking those illustrations away between a front and back cover, you can upcycle old books into wall décor — or their pages, at least — by transforming them into hanging banners.

To get started on this DIY, you'll need wooden dowels, older or vintage books with interestingly decorated pages, a roll of kraft paper, a glue stick, a hot glue gun, scissors, and some smooth, non-shedding twine. The overall look you're going for will determine what type of materials you select. For example, when picking out the book pages, consider those with maps, remarkable photographs, or botanical illustrations. Even sheet music could work as decorative art, depending on where you plan to hang the finished product.

For the wooden dowels, check out Dollar Tree's Crafters Square Wood Dowels, which come in a four-pack and are 12 inches long. They're not overly thick, but will still work well for this project. For thicker dowels and a more formal vibe, head to Home Depot or Lowe's, or shop online. These Yaliuliu Unfinished Solid Wood Sticks are ½ inch in diameter. Choosing longer dowels allows you to cut them to size as needed.

To take old books and use them to make DIY wall décor, you first need to remove the pages you want to use in your banners. Open your pair of scissors right up and run one blade down the inner edge of the page, as close to the spine of the book as you can. This ensures a straight edge. If the book is bound with string, sometimes you can gently pull center pages from the book two at a time. Next, measure your book page and add ½ inch or so to the sides and numerous inches to the top. Cut out a piece of kraft paper to fit these measurements. The ends of the kraft paper should be long enough to roll around a dowel a few times, while the sides should form a natural border around the book page.

Lay the kraft paper out flat and place the book page right in the center. Adjust the book page until the borders look equal — you can check the border measurements with a ruler if you want to be precise. Adhere the book page to the kraft paper using your glue stick, working carefully to avoid wrinkles. Once the glue has dried, take two dowels that are slightly longer than the kraft paper and place them at either end of the project. Attach the dowels to the paper with hot glue, then roll them toward the book page. Apply hot glue again to seal the roll in place. The final step is to tie the twine around both ends of the top dowel rod to create a hanger for the banner.

This DIY wall art that looks high-end but costs almost nothing is also very customizable. While you can, of course, simply use brown kraft paper for the background as directed, it's not a requirement. You can choose any other color you like based on your personal preferences, what best complements the book page imagery, or what looks great with your existing décor. For example, PH PerkHomy Kraft Paper Rolls come in a wide range of colors — black, dark green, pink, yellow, and many more. Plus, they cost only about $10 to $16 each.

If you like the look of these book page banners but want to add a bit more personality to your wall art, don't add a dowel to the bottom of the banner. Instead, cut the bottom into a different shape. Some options to consider include a pennant, a swallowtail, or a simple curve. Skipping the second dowel at the bottom of the banner might cause the kraft paper to roll upwards, even with the glued book page weighing it down. To keep the kraft paper from rolling up, cut a piece of cardboard the same shape as the bottom of your banner and glue it to the back of the kraft paper. Ideally, use cardboard that's the same color as your kraft paper — it's more discreet.