Salvaging Tired Tomes

Most of us have plenty of books, and plenty that are worn, outdated or just no longer able to fit on the shelves. Maybe they aren't in good enough shape to be donated, or maybe they are ancient reference books that are too old to be useful but too new to be considered a treasure. So what to do?

Turns out, old books can be great for arts and craft projects (purses, shelves, lampshades) as well as home decor (it's an inexpensive way to decorate a wall, for one). And for the very talented, there appear to be a neverending supply of ideas on how to make books into sculpture and fascinating pieces of art. For a more standard route of recycling, consider this list of How to Get Rid of Old Books. Yes, there are even ways to make something cool out of those 30 bound volumes of Readers Digest you have.

So besides donation, what have you guys done with your unwanted texts? Any easy, inspired ideas to share?