How to Turn an Old Book into a Storage Box

I have wanted to make a keepsake box out of one of my old books for a while now. The idea of upcycling a beloved book into something practical and sentimental has been tugging at my heart. There's a particular book that is worn from multiple readings, its pages scrunched and fragile. Rather than letting it collect dust on the shelf, transforming it into a keepsake box feels like a fitting way to honour its role in shaping my love for books. I envision carefully cutting out a compartment within its pages, a secret space to store trinkets and mementos that hold special memories.

This project not only allows me to give new life to a cherished book but also serves as a constant reminder of the power of literature in sparking creativity and nostalgia.

Materials needed:

• 1-metre fabric – Hatti Raspberry

• 1 old hardback book

• A paintbrush

• Multi-purpose glue

• A ruler and pencil

• Scissors

• Stanly knife

First I painted the back book cover and spine with glue and covered them with fabric. I then turned the book over, positioned it on the fabric, pressed down, turned it over so the back was now facing me, and smoothed it out with my hand. And again I did the same for the front cover and then the inside cover. Cutting two slits on each side of the spine, and using a butter knife I tucked the fabric into the spine - both ends.

I then closed the book and painted all three sides of the pages with glue. Make sure to coat them thoroughly. I then placed a heavy iron (turned off) on top of the book and let it sit and dry for about 12 hours.

Now that the pages are all glued together, I started cutting out the middle of the pages. First, I measured out the size and shape of the compartment I wanted, then carefully I started slicing around the marked shape with a Stanly knife. I went deep enough to place some jewellery bits in, but you can go deeper if you so wish. And that is finished - you can see my pictures below.

Fabric-covered books (with a secret hidden compartment) are pretty, cheap decor pieces that will look beautiful in the bookcase, or on a shelf - and you get to hide some bits and bobs.