We love upcycling the pages of unsalvageable books and magazines into homemade decor. It’s such a crafty and fun way to beautify our spaces, create a text-rich environment for the kids, and save a few trees while we’re at it. And some of the prettiest upcycled book-page decor we’ve encountered are these bookish blooms, a literary twist on classic paper flowers.
These DIY book-page blossoms are a fun craft to freshen your table or decorate for a special event. Display them in a natural wood bowl or scatter them along a table for a sophisticated, minimalist effect. String them together along a streamer and hang them for a festive look. Or attach them to a small wooden dowel in a vase—they can stand alone or add a cute touch to a bouquet of cut flowers. Tip: Combine all three flowers for a distinctive arrangement.
Book-page flowers also make unique decorations for a child’s birthday, spotlighting literacy and nature in one pretty package. You could even use them to top drink stirrers or a book-themed cake. (Complete the theme with our DIY bookmarks or honey-bear bookends as favors.) Ready to get crafting? Just click the links below for step-by-step tutorials with photos of each step.
I have to say, I was staying away from roses because of how intricate and delicate they look. I thought making a DIY paper rose was going to be so much harder than it turned out to be. So don’t shy away from this beautiful flower! If anything, it’s actually simpler than some of the other paper flowers. Modify this craft for kids by using glue dots instead of a glue gun and letting them color or decorate the flowers. Let their creativity soar—not all roses are red!
However you use them, these DIY book-page flowers are a lovely way to upcycle damaged or obsolete old books. There are many different patterns for book-page blooms out there, and this one makes a particularly elegant flower. Once you get the hang of making the petals, this craft goes super fast. Kids can easily help out with this project. I recommend making it a fun assembly line to make the petals and then just helping them with the hot glue gun for the finishing touch!
LITERARY-THEMED PAPER HYDRANGEAS
These DIY book-page hydrangeas make a full, pretty blossom that will bring a touch of spring into your home and highlight the written word at the same time. This book craft may be challenging for some younger children, so it’s a good project for one-on-one time with an older kid or for a little me-time. With just three steps, it’s pretty simple for bigger hands once you get the hang of it!