Deconstructed books are a popular home decor trend. They add the vintage, farmhouse character to an area you’re trying to style. I love the look, but I would never deconstruct a true vintage book, instead I use a cheap hack to get the same look for a fraction of the price.
To create my deconstructed books, I used paperback books from the dollar store. I would never deconstruct a vintage book, so please don’t do that! 🙂 Just use old books laying around your house that you don’t read, or buy some cheap books at the thrift store or dollar store to deconstruct. I bought six paperback books from the dollar store. It didn’t matter the titles, the color of the cover pages, or the fact that a few of them were in another language; I just pulled the books from the store in various sizes and checked out how they’d stack together.
You want the deconstructed books to create interest when tied together with ribbon or string, so keep that in mind when deciding on what books to deconstruct. Choose books of different sizes and thickness.
Supplies Needed to Deconstruct Books:
- Old paperback books of various sizes
- Sandpaper
- Twine or Ribbon
How to Make Deconstructed Books
- Simply rip the covers off of the paperback books. Be careful not to rip the binding glue off of the books. On a few of my books, I tore a few pages off until the title page was displayed. On other books, I pulled off the covers and a couple of pages on the book.
- Next, lightly sand the spine of the book. Sanding some of the glue off of the binding, adds a little bit of a worn and aged look on the books.
- To make it feel old and worn, you can bend, crumple and turn some of the pages of the book. This adds a bit of interest, it look as if they’ve been read for a long time. You could also stain it with tea or coffee to add the feeling that it is old and worn.
- Stack the deconstructed books together and tie them with twine or ribbon. Tied with lace ribbon would be really pretty too!
Decorating with Deconstructed Books
Deconstructed books scattered throughout home decor add cozy, vintage farmhouse vibes. You’ve probably seen the trend all over Instagram and Pinterest. I’ve seen them displayed on coffee tables and mantels to add height and texture. Some people even stamp words or sayings on their stacks of deconstructed books tied with string or ribbon. Deconstructed books were used on my layered window mantel, which added extra dimension and texture. I love the look of old and worn deconstructed books and the vintage feel they add in decor. The possibilities are endless for decorating with this super easy deconstructed book tutorial.
What do y’all think?!? Will you create a few deconstructed books for your home decor? Connect with me on social media! Use the hashtag #sweetsouthernoaks on Instagram to share your inspiration from the blog. As always, feel free to find me on Facebook or Instagram. I’d love to chat with you about all things home décor! You can also pin with me on Pinterest for even more inspiration for home décor, recipes and more!
Wonderful post! Love the photos!