So the semester has ended, final exams are done, and you can finally relax. You might just be getting out of the Fall semester and you’re enjoying your down time before the Spring semester begins, or you’ve just taken your last Spring term exam and you’re looking forward to the Summer. Either way, the semester is over and if you didn’t rent your books, you’ll probably find yourself left with several textbooks that you don’t know what to do with. 

What’re you supposed to do with that leftover Economics textbook that your professor only ever referenced one time? Or your Literature Theory book that weighs ten pounds and causes you pain every time you look at it? Instead of throwing out your old textbooks, consider giving them new life and repurposing your old college textbooks! There are plenty of creative ways you can reuse textbooks as an alternative to throwing them away or having them clutter your room. Textbooks are expensive, so put them to use.

You might be thinking that there are only so many options for things you can do with your old college textbooks. If you search the internet for ideas, chances are the only result it will give you is to donate or sell them. But there are so many options for things you can do with old textbooks. Whether you’re creative, a true lover of DIY, or you can hardly use a glue stick, there are plenty of fun and cool things you can do with your old textbooks. So if you’re wondering what to do with your extra books, keep reading for a list of 12 things to do with your old college textbooks! 

1. Art Journal Paper

If you’re an artsy person, or you just simply find painting or drawing relaxing, chances are you have one, or you’ve heard of, an art journal. The best thing about art journal paper is that it doesn’t have to be just plain notebook paper. Using old textbook paper for your art journal can give it a unique touch while still being functional. Textbooks often have thicker pages, so if you like using watercolor specifically this would be a great alternative if you don’t want to buy another journal just yet! Painting or drawing over the words can also give your art piece more personality! 

2. Origami

Have you ever tried your hand at  this Japanese form of art work? Whether you’re a beginner at origami, or a well experienced paper folder, using old textbooks can be a great way to recycle the paper while adding a different and unique touch to the folded masterpieces you can create. You can create simple origami pieces, or try your hand at something a little more difficult. Origami can also be very relaxing, so it’s a win win! Keep an old textbook around for when you’re feeling creative and want to fold some tiny pieces of art!

3. Make Your Own Decor

There are so many fun ideas online for turning old books into fun home decor. This can range anywhere from making paper roses to create a front door wreath, to using pages of books to create a mural on your wall. Artsy book decor is a great way to spice up your space! One creative idea for some DIY home decor from your textbooks would be to repaint the covers of your textbooks and use them as art around your home or dorm. You can paint them to any theme or book you want, have just a single one on a bookshelf as an accent piece, or create a stack of them to put on your coffee table.

4. Reuse and Recycle 

If you’re a big supporter of “going green,” then you might want to recycle your old textbooks. Similar to using your old textbooks to create art or home decor, recycling your old books is all about giving them new life and using them for something else after they’ve served their purpose. This can be as simple as using an old textbook to stabilize that wobbly table with one short leg, or as intricate as using your old textbook paper to make your own paper. Making your own paper is easier than you think, and it will allow you to get more use out of your old textbooks!

5. Bookmarks

If you have any textbooks that have cool images in them or bright colors, cutting out pages and folding them into bookmarks is another great way to recycle the paper in your textbooks. If you don’t have any cool images in mind from your textbooks, this is another fun opportunity to paint your own pictures on your bookmarks. Keep them for yourself, give them as gifts, or sell them online!

6. Brag About Your Major

Okay, let’s face it. Whether you’re still working toward your major, or you’re a recent graduate; you’ve worked hard for your degree. So why not show it off? That giant Physics book your friends all gawk at when you pull it out of your bag? Display it in your room to let everyone know how challenging your major is and how hard you’ve worked for your degree. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the whole thing; you bought the book and that’s what counts right? 

This cube organizer from OCM can work as a small shelf for your dorm to display all of your books to show off to everyone who comes to your room!

7. Create Something New

If you’re really creative and know your way around some tools, then you can get real crafty with your old textbooks. Maybe you’re moving into a new apartment next semester, or you’re graduating and are going out on your own. Chances are you’ll need some home decor to take with you. Saving and compiling your old textbooks will allow you to use them for larger projects in the future. Need a coffee table? All you need is a drill and some books. Or if you’re not good with power tools, some industrial glue will suffice! Add a piece of wood (or whatever you want) to the top, and you have yourself a table personalized to you! 

8. Capture Your Memories

Something fun to do with an old textbook is to turn it into a picture frame. College is an important experience in everyone’s life, and you’ll probably want to remember it. What better way to do that than with pictures? And even better, creating your own picture frame from old textbooks will also add to the nostalgia when you look back at it later. Maybe there was a favorite class you had with a friend that you want to use the textbook from to remember old times. Or maybe there’s a specific class you hated and you want to add a positive memory to it. Either way, using a book to create a picture frame is an easy and fun task! 

9. Have a Smash Party

College is stressful, and sometimes the best way to get your stress out is to destroy something. And what better way to do this than with friends? Make a day out of it and invite your friends to destroy the textbooks from classes that caused you the most stress this semester. Tear the pages, throw the book around, cut the cover, or ruin it with ink. Chances are at some point in your college career you’ve wanted to throw that math book across the room. Well, now is the time to do it! Gather some friends and end the semester with a bang. Just make sure to do this in a safe environment, and remember to recycle the books afterwards so there’s no waste!

10. Keep the Important Parts

If you have textbooks from classes you’ve taken that are geared toward your major, there is probably some important information in them. If you don’t want to keep the whole textbook that is bigger than your head just for a page or two with information you want to have handy for next semester, then consider tearing out the specific part of the textbook you want to keep. You can either donate the rest of the book, or recycle it! Take the papers you took out of the book and hang them on your bulletin board to have easy access, or create a small folder so you’ll know where to find them! 

11. Little Free Library 

Little Free Libraries are becoming more and more popular lately, and are a great way to get rid of your old textbooks. Little Free Libraries are small boxes that are stationed in many different places. Whether you live in the country or in a large city, you can always find one on the side of the road somewhere. The idea is that you take a book from the box, and leave a book so someone else can have something to read. While textbooks might not seem very exciting, you can always leave any literature class required reading for someone else to enjoy, even if you didn’t yourself. Besides who knows, maybe someone will enjoy learning about Accounting?  

12. Donate or Sell Your Books 

For the sake of being basic, the final idea of what to do with your old college textbooks is to either sell them or donate them. This is the easiest, and most common suggestion when you search the internet for what to do with your old textbooks. Chances are your books aren’t going to sell for the value you bought them, but if you’re wanting to make a little extra cash then reselling either to your bookstore, or an online site that buys books, is a good option. If you don’t need or want to make any money from your books, or the bookstore is only offering 25 cents, then donating might be the way to go if you just want to get rid of the books. You can donate at your local library, your school bookstore, or even just give them away to your friends who might need them. 

Whatever you decide to do with your textbooks, there are plenty of options out there that will fit what you’re wanting to do. Whether you donate your books, sell them online, make them into a killer (but maybe a little crooked) table, or use the paper as a canvas for your next art project, reusing your textbooks is a great way to be environmentally friendly! Either donating your books to be reused, or reusing the books yourself for whatever project you have in mind is always a good idea! Thinking up creative ways to reuse your textbooks is also a fun way to destress after what might’ve been a hard semester.

And if you decide that you aren’t sure what you want to do with your textbooks, hang onto them for a little longer. There’s no harm in waiting a little longer. The only consequence to this is having to carry a particularly heavy bin out of your dorm room during move out day. But what are siblings for, right? If you’re unsure what to use your textbooks for, pack them up and decide later. College is stressful enough and worrying about what to do with your old textbooks shouldn’t add to this stres. Whatever you decide to do with your textbooks, there are a bunch of ideas on the web to get you started!