Upcycling Books

A guide to repurposing used books and pages into unique, accessible art projects—the perfect gift for artists, crafters and book lovers. In these pages, Jason Thompson has curated an extensive and artistic range of both achievable upcycled crafts made from books and book pages and an amazing gallery that contains thought-provoking and beautiful works that transform books into art. The content encompasses a wide range of techniques and step-by-step projects that deconstruct and rebuild books and their parts into unique, recycled objects. The book combines in equal measure bookbinding, woodworking, paper crafting, origami, and textile and decorative arts techniques, along with a healthy dose of experimentation and fun. The beautiful high-end presentation and stunning photography make this book a delightful, must-have volume for any book-loving artist or art-loving book collector.

Upcycle this book. Rewrite it as a manifesto. Steal and take and copy and change this book. Upcycle these twenty-three texts just as I have upcycled so many other texts and responded to many sets of existing conditions. Or unlike I have. Treat these words as existing conditions. Some of them are artworks. Some of them upcycle artworks by others. Some are barely texts at all. . . . Often the words are a script to be performed. Its useful to read words out loud in public. Gavin Wade is pragmatic utopian, an artist, artist-curator, artist-writer and one of the founding directors of Eastside Projects in Birmingham, UK. He has curated numerous exhibitions as well as written and published a number of bookssuch as Has Man a Function in Universe? (Book Works, 2008). Upcycle This Book was co-published by Book Works and Stroom den Haag in an edition of 1,000.

Bookworms derive great pleasure from the simple act of reading. But what happens when a book is old or damaged and no longer in a fit state to be read? Through 20 do-it-yourself projects, Upcycling Books: Decorative Objects gives your tattered friends a new lease on life. With simple techniques and common household materials, you can upcycle an old atlas, dog-eared comics, or an obsolete set of encyclopedias. Projects include party decorations, a woven basket, a smartphone charger, a mail organizer, a secret storage box, and an origami lampshade. Links to videos show a process or technique in detail, while templates can be printed for use. More than 30 variations and suggestions will further inspire you. Don't let old books gather dust; give them a new purpose with Upcycling Books.

Who would have thought a chair could be so wise? The Old Green Chair tells in story form how solutions to seemingly impossible problems are there for the finding. The second in THE HOUSE SERIES OF PICTURE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, this charming story shows that when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, life can take a turn that could hardly be better.

“The expert when it comes to turning old junk into special pieces of furniture . . . includes some speedy [projects] you can craft in next to no time.” —Prima Ever thought about transforming that rusty old item in the garage into something awesome to impress your dinner guests, or fancied refurbishing the random old dining chair in the shed but don’t have the tools or know-how? Discover your inner design genius, find out where to find great scrap items and learn techniques on how to transform them into great designs with this stylish eco-friendly book by Dragon’s Den entrepreneur and TV presenter Max McMurdo. Step away from the chipboard and venture out of your comfort zone into a glorious world of doodles, sanding, waxing, stunning colors and the satisfaction of telling people, “I made that!” You don’t have to own expensive tools or have any previous experience. Some of the projects involve only a few simple steps and can be completed within an hour, whereas others may take the best part of a weekend and combine several different materials, techniques and tools. Whichever project you choose the most important thing is to have fun and remember design is all about experimenting and learning—and not about always getting it right! “Max is an upcycling alchemist who turns junk into something wonderful.” —George Clarke, presenter of Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces

Tracing the benefits—and limitations—of repurposing aluminum. Besides being the right thing to do for Mother Earth, recycling can also make money—particularly when it comes to upcycling, a zero waste practice where discarded materials are fashioned into goods of greater economic or cultural value. In Upcycling Aluminum, Carl A. Zimring explores how the metal’s abundance after World War II—coupled with the significant economic and environmental costs of smelting it from bauxite ore—led to the industrial production of valuable durable goods from salvaged aluminum. Beginning in 1886 with the discovery of how to mass produce aluminum, the book examines the essential part the metal played in early aviation and the world wars, as well as the troubling expansion of aluminum as a material of mass disposal. Recognizing that scrap aluminum was as good as virgin material and much more affordable than newly engineered metal, designers in the postwar era used aluminum to manufacture highly prized artifacts. Zimring takes us on a tour of post-1940s design, examining the use of aluminum in cars, trucks, airplanes, furniture, and musical instruments from 1945 to 2015. By viewing upcycling through the lens of one material, Zimring deepens our understanding of the history of recycling in industrial society. He also provides a historical perspective on contemporary sustainable design practices. Along the way, he challenges common assumptions about upcycling’s merits and adds a new dimension to recycling as a form of environmental absolution for the waste-related sins of the modern world. Raising fascinating questions of consumption, environment, and desire, Upcycling Aluminum is for anyone interested in industrial and environmental history, discard studies, engineering, product design, music history, or antiques.

With easy step-by-step instructions, this book will help kids get creative and recycle and repurpose their trash into handmade treasures. All projects feature common everyday items to reuse in a fun new way. From bottle-top pop art to felted tin-can organizers, kids will love making useful crafts and helping the environment. Great tips and advice on reusing, garage sales, and spotting treasures are also provided. So start your upcycling with these fabric, paper, metal, glass & ceramics, and odds & ends projects. Book includes: visual supply & tool lists, step-by-step instructions and photos, fun advice & tips, and safety information.