Vintage Book Wall Decor

3 Materials
$20
1 Hour
Easy

Follow me on Instagram (@renovationqueenlife) to see all of the DIY projects I'm doing!


I get so tired of the standard wall decor you see for sale in so many stores. I was wanting something with some texture and dimension above my bed, and I happen to have a great collection of old books. With these things in mind, my first book wall was born! Since then, I have also helped my mom (a retired librarian) create a book wall in her dining room using all of her favorite authors, books, and even a few of her favorite Christian hymns.

I know this looks a little silly, but stay with me on this! The first thing you need to do is figure out how big you want the wall decor space to be. I would outline the area with brackets using chalk. This will give you a good basis.

Then I would start imaging where the larger books you plan to use will go. By placing these ahead of time, you will save yourself a lot of headache! Just draw imaginary square books on your wall with chalk, and if you don't like the layout you can easily erase it and try again!

Now it's time to place the books! I used small nails to attach most of the books. I tried to choose books that are not overly heavy. Just put the nail a few pages back from the page you want to show. You can easily tape the remaining pages back over each other to cover the nail.

Have fun with the placement of the pages! I like to fan some out, fold some, and roll some up together. I find that a good mixture looks best.

After placing all of the actual books, start filling in holes with individual pages. I simply tape these to the wall with double sided tape.

After you are pleased with the placement of all books and pages, you can start adding greenery! I think this adds a whole new dimension to this already unique wall decor! I like to change out the florals seasonally.

This wall is decorated for Spring/Summer. For Fall, I will add red and orange leaves and maybe a few Fall flowers. For winter, I will go with some evergreens. I may even add some red berries for Christmas!

Here is the book wall in my bedroom. Right now, I have this one decorated for Independence Day. These vintage flags may be my favorite addition yet! I really feel like the possibilities are endless with this project!

For more, please follow me on Instagram @renovationqueenlife.


DIY home decor using old books

Check out more ideas for how to decorate with old books here.

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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Ellie Ellie on Jul 05, 2019

    Very creative and would be great for a book lover. My only question is, how to you dust it without damaging the pages of the books???

  • Ginger Stewart Ginger Stewart on Jul 13, 2019

    How to diy a new light fixture out of the old three light style

  • Angela Angela on Jul 21, 2019

    It's not about this project but I can't find the hack to clean the vent or filter in the stove top range vent?

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  • Anonymous Anonymous on Jan 25, 2021

    What amazing ideas! Thanks for sharing!

    I work from home and for me, it is very important to have a comfortable, cozy place to work and have rest. Also, I adore music! And I liked your design with notes! Stunning! I guess I will try to decorate my room with such old paper art pieces!


    Here is one more idea about old books I liked!

    comment photo
  • AnnieHorton AnnieHorton on Nov 02, 2022

    It looks very beautiful and unusual. So I haven't applied the books yet, but the idea is super. I take books very seriously and read every day. Reading helps me develop my writing skills. But so far I can not boast of the result. Luckily, an undergrad once accidentally told me about a writing service. And I immediately asked to do my assignment As a poor student, I immediately noticed that they have amazing discounts and special offers. This made me very happy. But the main thing for me is that the paper here is of high quality.

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