Make over a lampshade with an old book. The end result looks better than store-bought

Add some literary personality to a reading nook or office with a lampshade cover made of book pages. Instead of adding your old book to a landfill, you can repurpose a hardcover book you didn't like enough to pass on to a friend or donate to the library. Distressing the pages makes them look older than they are and helps conceal dust.

The pages should be uniform in size, so don't mix and match books unless the pages are the same size. The thicker the pages, the sturdier the covering will be; however, that also means less light will shine through. Choose book pages according to how much light you want and how resilient you need the cover to be. Use fewer pages if the drum is small.

- Hardcover book
- Distress oxide
- 1-inch foam brush
- Hot-glue gun
- Hot-glue sticks
- White drum lampshade
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1. Tear out 22 pages from the book. Apply distress oxide to random spots along the edges, back and face of each page.

2. Fold a page in half. While it is folded, fold backward in half each vertical edge as you would to make a paper airplane. This results in an accordion pattern with four sections. Repeat the folding for every page.

3. Unfold the pages loosely and stack them. Pick up one page (P1) and run a line of glue along the left vertical edge (fourth quarter) 1/8 to 1/4 inch in. Take a second page (P2), and overlap the right quarter of the page on top of P1's glued left section.

4. Run a line of glue along a third page's (P3) left edge, and slide that section under P1's right quarter section.

5. Run a line of glue along a fourth page's (P4) left edge, and slide that section under P3's right quarter section. Run a line of glue along a fifth page's (P5) left edge, and slide that section under P4's right quarter section. Continue overlapping in this manner and gluing until all pages are glued together.

6. Fold the full accordion to redefine its folds. Wrap the accordion around the drum lampshade. Apply glue along the top of each inner fold where it touches the lampshade. Let the glue dry completely before putting the lampshade on a lamp.

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