Old books can be the foundation and inspiration for art making projects.
It is good to slowly collect interesting books over time. You will develop a sense of what you love about an old book.
Places to find old books for art making
- library sales
- thrift stores
- yard sales, estate sales, flea markets
- friends, family and basements
- recycle centers
- https://www.booksalefinder.com
It is a good idea to ask at local libraries, because often the kind of book you may want to use as art material is “junk” to the library and is thrown away or recycled and does not even make it into a book sale.
Books too precious?
It is a state of mind. If the book was too old or smelly to be sold in a library sale, then it is probably not precious. You are taking it and giving it new life, new form and celebrating the parts of the book that speak to you. Be brave! Reshape an old book.
Types of Books to collect for the upcoming Book as ART materials class
If you are thinking of joining the Book as Art Materials online class, then start collecting some of these books today.
- Books with yellowed pages
- Books with interesting covers
- a foreign language book
- a music book
- a few dictionaries, look at the font size
- children’s picture books with a style of illustration that speaks to you
- books with interesting spines
- a few books that are approx. 5″ x 8″ (13 cm x 20 cm)
- any kind of book that speaks to you
- books of different sizes – tiny to large
- Books with embossed lettering
- Large children’s book with cloth coverings
With any type thrift store shopping, it usually takes time to make great finds. So be patient and shop often.
Check out the details of the online art class, Books as ART Materials. Collect some books and join us in the next class.
This copy of Persuasion by Jane Austin has a wonderful cover that may be used to make some pencil rubbings.
Judge the books by:
- size of type
- color and texture of cover
- design of the spine
- size of the book
The content is not even that important. The other esthetic qualities of the book are what matters. CLICK on the image to see larger view.
