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A book is a sacred object. But sometimes, children’s books are just so well-loved and worn out that they are too fragile to read and too damaged to be valuable. But clever people can still find a way to create beautiful things from these lovely old favorites.

I'm Kath, and I make jewelry, magnets, pins, bookmarks, keychains, and blank journals/sketchbooks, often using recycled materials. I'm located in Evanston, IL.

I am a used book dealer specializing in children’s books, and have recently been brainstorming ways to upcycle the covers and pages of damaged books. Sometimes, a book is just in too poor condition to be read or even displayed, but I cannot bear to throw them away. I try to upcycle all of the parts: the covers become blank journals. The spines become bookmarks. The text and illustrations are made into magnets, buttons, and bookmarks. And I save out many of the best pages for you to create something yourself. My packs of pages are perfect for scrapbooking, junk journaling, or even simple framing or shadow boxes. What can you invent?

I also make jewelry! I work in enamel, resin, and glass, occasionally incorporating stickers, scrapbook papers, children's book illustrations, and images of book covers into my work. I also love flowers, and vintage waterslide decals sneak into my enamel with regularity.

Let me know if you need other photos as more are always available. If you're looking for any special collectible children's books, to read or to use in a project, please reach out. I have thousands of titles available offline and am happy to create a custom listing if I have what you need, whether it’s a beat-up paperback or a vintage first edition.

My home and workshop are smoke-free but NOT pet-free so if cats are a problem for you, please be forewarned. Their names are Jack and Lennie and even though my workshop is in a different building that they have never entered, their hair seems to follow me wherever I go.