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Coffee Table Books
There are lots of ways you can store books. Dividing them up
into categories is the first step. Large books look great on
the coffee table. I like to keep a few large books on my coffee
table. Right now I have two large books about trains that our
family picked up on an outing this fall. Coffee Table books
let your guests see what your interests are and can help spark
conversations.
Cook Books
Cook books are so handy when kept in the kitchen. Don’t
hide them away in a cupboard. Depending on the size of your
cookbook collection, you could arrange them on your countertops;
kitchens with a lot of counter space can often spare a small
area to hold cookbooks. Place them in a bookrack or between
2 sturdy bookends or crocks. This is best done in an area that
is used for a desk or storage so the books won't get stained
during food prep. Or if you have a soffit area (the space on
top of kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling) it can often be used
to display books and kitchen collections. Arrange items in groupings
with plants, baskets, bottles, or vintage kitchen items for
an interesting display.
In one of the homes we’ve had, I took a small bookcase,
painted it white and then I painted the inside and back of the
shelves green. I arranged all my cookbooks on the bookcase with
some of my strawberry collection. When I designed my current
kitchen I allowed for open shelves above my desk in the kitchen,
this is where I have arranged my cookbooks and my collectibles.
Take a look at your kitchen and see if you can add some open
shelves, maybe above a window.
Hobby Books
Decorating, craft, gardening and how-to books are other types
of books that are found in most homes. I also have lots of back
issues of magazines in these categories. I have cut down cereal
boxes and covered them with contact paper and put my back issues
in these boxes by category. (See another idea for old magazines.)
I like to keep these types of books in my bedroom; I have a
cozy reading corner and bookcase in my bedroom. Basically you
should keep them where you like to access them.
Children’s Books
Children’s books can be a challenge. I have found that
children are not good at keeping books vertical on a shelf.
The approach that I have used is bins. I purchased plastic bins
and divided the books by size and type into the bins. Then the
children can pull out a bin, and return it to the shelf when
finished. My children have a bin of their favorite books in
their bedrooms, but the majority of the books are in the family
room.
Misc Books
All the rest of our books are in two bookcases in our upstairs
hallway. One bookcase is full of my husbands hunting books,
arranged with his knick knacks, and the other bookcase are all
the other miscellaneous books.
How to make magazine articles
more useful
Have you ever read a great magazine article and
thought, "I'll do this SOMEDAY?" Later though, the
magazine gets heaved into a box stored in the basement, never
to be found again. Why not organize the articles and store them
in binders for quick reference? Here's how to do it:
(1) Go through magazines and rip out articles
that interest you. (QUICK TIP: For a clean, straightedge tear,
hold a ruler flush against the binding on top of your magazine.
Starting at the top, tear the page against the ruler's straight
edge. This will give you a nice finished edge instead of a jagged,
messy one.
 (2)
Sort articles by topic: Cooking, Crafts, Gardening, Decorating,
Financial, Health, Parenting, etc.
(3) Place articles in sheet protectors and place
in three-ring binders. Create a simple table of contents.
Now, whenever you are looking for a recipe, craft
project, etc., simply go to the appropriate binder and look
up the project in the table of contents. Sure beats digging
through a box of dusty magazines!
To Create Height
Why just store books in your home when you can use them to add
style and flair to liven up any room? My daughter uses books
when she is decorating our windows. The window sills are one
foot wide and make a great place to arrange things. She uses
them as lifts so things will be at different heights. This is
a great way to raise an object that may look too short and create
some interest in a display as well. They could also be used
on an end table or dresser. Stack 3 books on a side table to
use as a raised display area. Set a lamp, sculpture, urn, or
plant (in a waterproof cache pot) on top of the books.
To Create Table Space
Books would also make a great end table. Take a stack of large
size books and stack to chair height, or a little lower. Place
a piece of glass on the top to protect the books. For a low
coffee table, stack smaller books into four “legs”
and top them with a piece of glass. (Note, You might not want
to try these two projects if you have small children.)
To Create a Border
Install a display shelf 12" or more down from the ceiling
(or near the top of the doorways). The shelf can run along one
wall or even all the way around a room. Be sure to use thicker
shelves so they don't sag under the weight of the books. Arrange
books and collectibles along the length of the shelf.
To Create a Hideaway
Create an instant nook area by a window, fireplace, or even
on a blank wall, by flanking the space with floor to ceiling
bookshelves. Set a desk, love seat, or comfortable chair in
the nook, or use the nook area for built-ins.
To Create a Statement
For a large book collection and to really make a statement in
a room, build or purchase enough narrow bookshelves to fill
one wall of a room, or one side of a wide hallway. You'll get
lots of storage in only 12 to 15" of floor space.
Organizing a bookcase can seem like a daunting task, but it
doesn't have to be. Read tips below about how you can transform
your clutter into a creative collection of books and accessories.
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When getting started with any arrangement,
it helps to envision the overall effect. Start by arranging
one shelf located at eye level or just above a chair rail,
and continue outward from there. Always remember to step
back to make sure the whole arrangement is working together.
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When selecting book ends, consider the size
of the books. For large, heavy volumes, choose bookends
massive in appearance to balance out the look. Large bookends
are also functional because they are heavy enough to hold
up the row! |
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Soften the edges of vertically-placed books
with a circular accessory. |
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Group together books that are similar in color
tone or texture, such as antique leather-bound books. |
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Accessories with a metallic finish or round shapes often
add just the right amount of contrast that helps create
a clean look. Also, the height and shape of the objects
displayed should differ from the height of a given row
of books.
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Lining the back of the shelves with fabric, wallpaper,
or a contrasting paint adds depth and interest and integrates
the shelves with other elements in the room.
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Use odd numbers. Arrange objects in groups of odd numbers
for a more visually dynamic display.
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Establish balance. Line up like-size objects along a
shelf, or think right, left, and center when planning
displays. Pieces placed to the left of center should mirror
the proportions of those on the right. The balance doesn't
have to be exactly symmetrical, but neither side should
look heavier than the other.
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Don't overdo. Avoid a jumbled look by giving each object
piece some space to shine.
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It's generally not a good idea to store books in a musty
garage or damp basement as they will begin to smell musty
over time.
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To dust the decorative book jackets, simply spray furniture
polish directly on the lacquered surfaced cover and wipe.
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 More
than Words: How one woman added
a poem as a border in her children's bathroom
My children's bathroom is not very big so it wasn't
a big job to tackle. The hardest part was finding the saying
I wanted to have as a border. I finally found the Shel Sliverstein
poem, "Crowded Tub."
On the computer I printed out the poem in banner form in the
size and font I liked. I didn't have banner paper so I taped
the sheets together for each wall.
I taped the banner to the wall. (QUICK TIP: To
make the whole thing easier, I just butted the paper edge to
the corner of the wall and ceiling. That was the distance from
the top of the words to the ceiling, I didn't have to measure
the whole room for the correct distance. I used what I had.)
After I taped the banner to the wall, I slid a
piece of carbon paper under the area I was working on and traced
over the letters. After I finished each section, I went over
it with the color of paint I had selected. The wall was bumpy
so the lettering looks more like it was freehanded then traced.
If I could do the project again, I would not use
the carbon paper. It can be very messy. I was lucky and didn't
have a huge mess to clean up all over my walls.
A little bit more time consuming but cheap and less messy would
be to rub the carbon from a pencil on the back of the letters
printed on the banner. This would give you a faint line to copy
from without worrying about rubbing the carbon sheet on your
walls.
Here's the poem I used:
There's too many kids in this tub.
There's too many elbows to scrub.
I just washed a behind
That I'm sure wasn't mine.
There's too many kids in this tub.
-Shel Silverstein A Light in the Attic
-idea submitted by Lisa James, Salem Ward,
St Johns, AZ Stake
Another variation to this idea:
Carbon paper can be messy and a hassle. Here is an easier
and no-mess way a lot of the home improvement shows here in
Australia recommend. They say you should copy the desired poem/picture
onto transparency film and using an overhead projector to project
your art-work onto the wall where you can trace it without fear
of smudging.
-Idea submitted by Lisa Koskinen,Tuggeranong
Ward, Canberra Australia
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