Dollar Store Crafts » Blog Archive » Make a Recycled Stack of Books Lamp

Make a Recycled Stack of Books Lamp

27 March 2011 15,950 views 7 Comments

by rhonda

When I was in high school I worked at the local public library. One of my duties was to help sort through donated books and decide what could be sold at the semi-annual used books sale and which books were best tossed into the recycling. It always made me sad to find books that looked beautiful on the outside but had loose or missing pages. I would bring them home and re-bind them into journals or scrapbooks, but over the years I came across more damaged volumes than I could rescue.

I wish I'd seen this stack of books lamp tutorial about 15 years sooner! Kimberly at Bugaboo, Mini Mr. & Me made this beauty as her audition piece for the soon-to-begin 7th season of So You Think You're Crafty? and it paid off; she's one of the ten contestants! (Congratulations, Kim!) Don't have books laying around for making your own lamp? Try checking out your local thrift shops! [how to make a stack of books lamp]

Project estimate:

Old books, on hand or about $5
Scrap wood, on hand
Drill and drill bits, on hand
Lamp wiring kit, about $5
Lamp harp, about $3
Threaded rod, about $2
Glue, on hand
Mod Podge, on hand
Lampshade, $1 and up

Total: $11 and up

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7 Comments »

Libby's Library said:

OMGosh – I LOVE THIS

Going directly to the top of my husbands “honey do” list!

# 27 March 2011 at 10:42 am

Rhianon said:

Love it! I’m definitely doing this, and thinking decoupaged book pages on the lamp shade. I’m a sucker for book crafts.

# 27 March 2011 at 3:47 pm

Jessica Peter (& psyche on Craftster!) said:

This is adorable! Love it.

# 27 March 2011 at 7:23 pm

Kimberly said:

Aw, thanks Rhonda! It was a handful to figure out at first, but I’m glad I persisted! :)

# 28 March 2011 at 12:12 am

Katie said:

This is FABULOUS. Love, love.

# 30 March 2011 at 7:50 am

Martha said:

Several years ago I made a floor lamp with a table using old books, especially old encyclopedia volumes. I was a school librarian at the time and used the lamp as part of the decor in my library. The students loved it.

# 1 April 2011 at 5:45 pm