Weaving with Book Spines

Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.
Lawrence Block

I used to make spiral bound notebooks out of old book covers found at flea markets (still have a few left in my Etsy Shop). Love those vintage covers! When I cut the book boards apart I released the spine and once finished I gathered a whole bunch of them into a glass jar.They’ve been sitting in that jar in my book shelf for a few years now…

I was thinking of them as unusual and fun decorations. But now I am tired of seeing them collecting dust and decided to throw them away. But wait! Once they were out of the jar I had one of those serendipitous ideas: why not weave them together and make a something new by putting them together. Perhaps a Book Spine Mat?

I haven’t seen anything similar before, but I have been weaving paper strips together many times. Weaving with this kind of sturdy material is simple and fun. Once I had a square woven together I just sewed the ends down using the sewing machine all around the edge!

Proof that you can use almost anything in a crafty project, right? I simply love when serendipity lets a material come together by an idea to create something entirely new. Especially when it’s cheap, recycled material that finds a new life. The mat is now decorating my spray painted pink pedestal:

There is a lot of things you can do with old books that nobody wants! What have you made with old, recycled book material?