Crafting with books

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There's nothing worse than waiting for school to start and counting down the last few days of freedom like the last grape Skittles in the bag.

So to keep your mind off the subject, here are some quick and easy crafts (thanks to Pinterest) that you can try at home with materials you can either find at your library, or with books you can check out from your library.

Book page candle holder

Materials: an empty glass food jar, pages from a discarded book, mod-podge or other decopauge glue

Clean your glass jar and soak off the lable in hot water. You may have to scrub to get the last bits of glue off, but usually it will just fall off by the time the hot water gets cool.

Select a page from your book, or some artwork. Use books, not magazines, unless you want to create complete shadows. Magazine pages have clay in them and will block all the light.

Position your page around the glass jar and glue it in place with the mod-podge.

Insert a tea-candle or electric tea-candle and you have a new night light! For step by step pictures, check out this link.

Also check out these books about altered books for more things to do with old books instead of throwing them away.

Angry Birds origami bookmark

Materials: Paper that is red on one side, white on the other (origami paper and some craft specialty paper comes like this). A small piece of orange paper and two small pieces of black paper. Two googly craft eyes. Paper glue.

If it isn't already a square, tTrim your paper to a square. (Directions with pictures!)

This awesome bookmark was created by CraftySoccerMom, and she gives all the steps to fold it so it fits the corner. The other pieces are just glued on. Cheers!

Want to learn more about origami - the art of folding paper? We have dozens of books!

Paint chip bookmarks

Materials: Paint chip sample strips from hardware / paint stores. Assorted stamps, stickers, markers, whatever else you have lying around.

This quick and easy craft can make two things at once: a cute and friendly bookmark and punch outs to use with other crafting projects.

Take one of the multi-colored paint sample strips you find at stores that mix paint (Menards, Lowe's, even some Walmarts will have them). Find a favorite paper punch and punch a shape from each color along the strip except the last one at the top. Punch a hole in the middle of the last color, and thread through a little ribbon or yarn for a tassle.

For ideas of different ways you can make your bookmark stand out, check out this link.

Like working with paper? Try these books about papercrafts and scrapbooking for more ideas!

Have other crafting plans? Tell us what you are working on right now!