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Recycling your old books is essential to helping the environment, but did you know that you can use an old book to make a cute new handbag?

It’s so simple and requires NO sewing at all (yay!)

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You will need:

An old hardback book

Fabric (you can use most kinds of fabric, even old clothes, or you can use the pages of the book to cover it)

Strong glue

Scissors

Ribbon (optional)

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Step 1. Start by carefully removing the pages of your book, you will need to be particularly careful if you want to use the pages to cover the book.

If you do not want to use the pages please put them out for recycling.

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Step 2. If you are using fabric, lay it out on a flat surface, iron it and lay the book on top, mark out how much fabric you will need to cover the front and back inside and outside, the book should not be visible on the outside, so make sure you leave plenty of material to cover it. Once you have marked out the fabric used for covering the book, Stand the book up on the remaining fabric and draw around the triangle that the upright book makes, add an inch to the measurements all the way round.

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Step 3. Using a strong glue, apply an even amount to the inside of the book, fold the fabric over and press it down, make sure the edges are nice and tidy. The book should now be completely covered, but the sides should be left open.

If you are using the pages to cover the book, simply stick the pages on the inside and outside and allow to dry, you will need a small amount of fabric for the edges.

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Step 4. When the glue has dried, open the book, lay it out flat, take the triangles that you cut out and lay one triangle down with the long edge (not the bottom) on the side of the book, stick it down thoroughly, repeat with the other side. Allow the glue to dry and fold the triangle inwards. Apply some glue to the other side of the book and stick the other side of the triangle to it, allow to dry and repeat with the other side.

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Step 5. What you should be left with is sort of a triangular bag, but you now need some handles, you can use whatever you want for the handles, ribbon, leftover fabric, handles from another bag. Whatever you use, just glue them thoroughly to the bag and allow them to dry. If you want, you can cover the join with buttons or gems or bows.

> You will need to use fairly sturdy material, particularly for the sides and I recommend that you cover the bag in some sort of sealant to protect it, you can use spray sealant or a simple mixture of PVA (Elmer’s) glue and water.