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