Repurpose an Old Book for Art

As paper books become increasingly phased out, it can be fun to repurpose the old ones for decoration and art. This Instructable will show the process of using an old book to create a unique style of art. The pages can be left in to create a book of art or torn out and framed, it's really up to you! Lets get started.

The supply list for this project is rather short. All you need is a book you are comfortable writing in, a Sharpie, and a pen/pencil.

A quick Google search will allow you to find hundreds of ideas that can inspire your next book art project. Images with dark, black elements work best as they contrast the sepia pages with ease. Projects with less contrast may become lost in the text on the page.

Sketch the basic image of what you would like to draw on the page. Be mindful of the words on the page to create a drawing that adds depth to the page rather than blending in with what is already there.

Outline the drawing with Sharpie along the lines you previously traced with pen. Remember, for this specific example it is important to have organic looking, flowing lines that bring dimension and life to old pages.

Once the image has be outlined with Sharpie, fill it in. Your picture should really come to life here! It's okay to make changes from the original sketch here. Once you have all of the branches filled in, add details that round out and balance the picture. If you are unsure as to what details to add, nature is always the best inspiration. You can add anything from leaves, to flowing lines in the background, to dots. Anything that rounds out the picture as a whole.

This is an easy way to create unique art that can be stored on shelves or hung on walls. Not only is it less expensive than buying a sketchbook from the store, but also environmentally friendly as we can recycle old books that are collecting dust. This project is very open ended by design as there are countless ways to go about doing this. I hope this Instructable has served as an inspiration to reuse old goods to create fun art on a budget.