Sentimental Repurposing: Books

I'm a big fan of repurposing, especially if it's sentimental. My grandfather was a great reader, I have many fond memories of browsing the wall of books at his lakehouse. When he passed away, I held onto a few books that either held memories, or were especially beautiful. The rest, I believe, were sold at the estate sale.

Now I wish I had held onto all of them, so that they could've been transformed into something amazing like this Book Rug by Pamela Paulsrud (via Recyclart). How awesome is this?

What do you do with the uncovered books once the spine's been removed? Something simple like Restoration Hardware's uncovered book bundles would be a very easy DIY project. These books sans spines are wrapped with twine, the warmth of the pages adding texture to any shelf. Very nice indeed!

Haunt me, then!

It's November. When the wind howls and the landscape grows forlorn, I turn to my favorite book, Wuthering Heights. All those things we're supposed to fear - chilled isolation, feverish dreams, even loss of a beloved - suddenly become romantic to me. Death cannot stop true love.

Here are a few Wuthering Heights finds ...

Sand Evening Regency Dress by Cream Cake Costumes, perfect for wandering the windy moors.

Vintage Wuthering Heights Confetti, by ddeforest

Wuthering Heights Family Tree by Lizzy Stewart.

For me, ghosts are a measurement of our loss. When we haven't lost anyone, ghosts are scary, something to be feared. But when we've lost someone we truly love, suddenly ghosts become a fantasy, a forlorn hope of one last encounter. The best ghost stories, in my opinion, are love stories.

Beautiful Gift Books

More from Compendium ... gorgeous hardcover books without dustjackets. Inside are simple, well-designed quotations to soothe the spirit.


I prefer these to the cloying, cloud-covered self-help books that I would never dare give anyone. There's a strength and positivity that I find very reassuring.