Antique Books: To Repurpose or to Leave Alone? + Giveaway Winner
e have a winner! The winner of the giveaway for the beautiful new book, Blogging For Bliss is....
Nancy of Nancy's Tidbits!
Congratulations, Nancy! And I want to thank all of you for taking the time to make the followers/subscribers switch from the old blog to my new one here. I appreciate it very much!
I hope to see you all come back tomorrow because I'm excited to announce that there will be a guest entry from author Stan Williams for you to enjoy. He wrote the decorating book, The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details. Stan's blog is another hidden gem that I recently discovered, so if you haven't already, be sure to stop over and say hello!
Now, here's a common dilemma among crafters and diy'ers, or at least for myself....To use antique books for projects or not. I'm always picking up old books here and there to {try} to use for projects. For instance, I would love to have some pages from an old book to line the back of my craft armoire and drawers - or to use for a million other projects. 
I get absolutely giddy when I find an old book oozing with character, but as soon as it's paid for and I have some time to hold it in my hands, gingerly turning the pages to admire my perfect find, I always come to the conclusion that the particular book I'm holding isn't the book to use for whatever project I have in mind after all. The book becomes like Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. Terrific. Radiant. Humble. And eventually saved, not from the ax, but from a pair of craft scissors. I just can never bring myself to make the sacrifice.
The book above is an 1848 copy of Nicholas Nickleby by Charlse Dickens that I found this week in a rare and used bookstore. Can you imagine? Over 160 years old! The book was first published ten years earlier in 1838. I love the old handwriting of {one of} its previous owners...
I found this little English to French dictionary on our trip as well. It's not old - copyright 1954. {Did you hear that, Mother? 55 is not old!}
Here's another find - a children's chapter book from 1920... 
Just look at those extra thick pages!
Or what about this copy of Little Men from 1940?
Maybe I get my love of old books from my grandmother, who loved old things and old books especially. I remember as a child her giving me antique books to "put away and save". Of course I'd never dream of using those books for projects. I'm torn enough about repurposing books that have no sentimental value. Just look at them! Aren't they perfect, even in their aged and tattered state?
I feel for old books like I do for old houses - that despite their decrepit conditions, they have life and so much personal character. Goodness knows what all they've witnessed throughout the decades....
I have a few pieces of furniture built from old house parts and I'm happy to have them - parts of something from the past, showcased and made useful once again. Would it be the same with repurposing old books? What do you think?
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21 comments:
I love old books too and I'm like you, I can't seem to do anything with them other than love and display them.
Kim,
I won?!?! Thank you! Oh, my gosh. I will enjoy the book so much!!!
I love those old books you found. They are so neat! I know, it must be hard to think of doing anything with them other than just displaying them.
Nancy
I am right there with you and Kitty Scraps! I can't do anything with old books but display them and think they are soooo beautiful!
It made my stomach twist a bit when I started thinking if I would use them for a project or not...I guess that means I wouldn’t, at least my stomach is telling me I wouldn’t. I can see the flip side though; use them for a project you can admire every day or leave them as is and enjoy them when you have time to pick them up and flip through them. I still think I would leave them as is and just display them.
I'd put that Dickens on display -- what a find!!
The rest, yeah, I'd be able to use them for crafting/DIY purposes :) I believe books should be read -- if they're not going to be reread / referred to regularly, I either pass them along or use them in some other way. There are a few around here that are exceptions to that guideline, but, overall, I don't bring in old books unless I have a specific purpose in mind for them -- we just don't have the space for it!!
For me, if I take something old that has no sentimental value to me and I use it to create something different, *that* is what gives it sentimental value to me :). I love to repurpose things!!
In my opinion... really special books or books with sentimental value, I would not use for anything except display. Other than that, why not? At least they are being used and appreciated instead of sitting somewhere they would never be appreciated!
I don't think I can give you an unbiased opinion, but I'm going to comment anyway ;)
I love books... loved or new. I just think that they are little treasure chests waiting to be opened.
However, if I found a book that was already torn apart, then I could probably use it for a project...I would be rescuing it for sure!
Oh, I love old books as well! There's just something about them that draws me to them.
Rachel
Cool books and it would be really hard for me to use them for projects too. I always hope that I will find an old book that is torn to sheds with tons of pages falling out but with some good pages. Then it wouldn't make me feel bad. I think it also depends on what the book is. I couldn't use the Dickens, but I others I might use. Vic and I found an old book once that was a small textbook on how to do shorthand. The pages were so aged and yummy. I was so going to use it for projects. The lady's husband had put it out without telling her and she didn't want to sell it. : (
I noticed that Vic has a post saved in drafts about old books. Maybe she will post it soon.
Those are beautiful books-the only way I could dismantle an old book is if it was one I picked up at a thrift store or yard sale and it held no sentimental value {and if it wasn't a classic!}
What kind of projects do you do with them?
What about just using those beautiful photos you took? Gorgeous!
You are so right about old books and old houses....they each have their own character. Those books are just wonderful to look at just the way they are. I try to buy old books that don't have character to repurpose for my art.
I love the old books!!! They are awesome.
I have one very old. It's full of french poem about flowers, with each their flower lady illustration. I might show it off one day..
It looks like a lot of you all have the same attachment to old books! There's just something about them! That's a good idea to use old books without a lot of character for projects, then I can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Maman Tattoo, I'd love to see your French poem book sometime. That sounds lovely!
Ness, I was thinking about using them to cover clothespins or to line drawers and the back of my craft armoire to give it a little visial interest.
I could never deface an old classic because it was probably worth something, but for some reason I could never get sentimental about old law books or dictionaries, even if they have historical interest. I find 'defacing' books to be very hard and, yet, I can understand the appeal of using old pages for projects like those you listed.
Unrelated, I just stumbled on a blog I think you'd like: http://www.philigry.blogspot.com/
It depends on the book and also on the craft. If the book is made "better" by becoming part of something beautiful, use it for the craft. But if the book is already beautiful, or a classic, then keep it intact. Easier said than done though!
It's definitely a tough decision, Rae and Tracy. Thanks, Rae, for the link! I've added it to my following list!
WOW, the Charles Dickens book would be such a treasure! :) About repurposing them, I think that if you want to, why not? I know I wouldn't be able to cut up extremely well-known and well-loved ones, but I think it would be just fine to take ones you aren't quite so sentimental towards and find new ways to use their pages! They would make the back of your craft armoire/drawers look wonderful! You should go for it! :) Every time you look at them, you'll smile!
I do the same thing -- buy the old book and then can't bear to take it apart!
I've only cut up one book and it was an old storybook with horrible pictures and equally horrible stories. But anything else, I just don't think I could. It's more than likely because I'm not good at altered art and therefore couldn't do it justice!
Thanks for being sensitive to the old books! I think that if yo u can find volumes that are damaged, you are justified in filching the parts for projects.
We are old book junkies, too. On family vacations, my kids would look out for used book stores, not amusement parks. Yeah. Odd. One of my daughters loves the SMELL of old books and when she was little I would have to stop her from inhaling too much, too closely!
What treasures, to have books from your grandmother.
Cass
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