Please, don’t destroy old books! Do this instead…
Sadly, destroying old books has somehow become a trend in the scrapbooking and junk journaling community. In various Facebook groups and YouTube videos, I watch with deep sadness as beautiful pages – torn from books and documents, sometimes hundreds of years old – are glued into modern notebooks, covered with textured paste, inks, and plastic stickers. This completely erases the meaning of the text, the beauty of the old fonts, and – most of all – a piece of history.
Most of the people do not realize old books are becoming rarer and more precious. They were created with far greater attention to quality, detail and craftsmanship – beautiful illustrations, fully handmade covers and high-quality materials.
I have an encyclopedia in Russian, published in socialist times. Not very old, but interesting. The information is heavily filtered through political and propaganda lenses and it’s filled with people who, by today’s standards, might be considered terrorists or criminals. So someone might say: “Oh, perfect paper source! Let’s tear out some pages, soak them in coffee, splash them with inks, and stick them under layers of washi tape and ephemera!”
And they might be right – for them. But not for me.
For me, this book set is precious. First, it was a gift from my grandmother, who knew I was a dictionary and encyclopedia aficionada. Second, every page is a document of its time – from the paper and ink to the photographs, editing style and the information itself.
But here’s the thing: these books can still be a wonderful source for scrapbooking and junk journaling—without destroying them.
Here’s how…
When I have an idea or project, I go through these and other old books I own, looking for texts, fonts, and illustrations I can use. The treasures inside are endless –
…like butterflies in all colours and shapes…
…portraits, paintings and illustrations on almost any topic under the sun.
Then, I simply photograph the elements I want with my phone or iPad. Photographing instead of cutting preserves the book as a historical document, while still giving me the images I need for my craft projects.
Next, I crop and organize the photos into documents for colour printing. You don’t have to use whole pages – maybe there’s just one corner, detail or letter you love. Keep for printing only that part.
You don’t need fancy tools. I use an iPad because it’s part of my freelance work, but you can easily use your PC or laptop. There are plenty of free programs: GIMP, Photopea, Pixlr, Fotor, or Canva. I happily used Pixlr for years; my sister-in-law swears by Canva. Just search for “free photo editing apps” and find what works for you.
When the photos are organized, print them. For a junk journal look, I recommend printing on simple 80 gsm copy paper – preferably ivory or light brown. Many home printers can also handle brown paper from shopping bags (just cut to A4 or Letter size and iron it flat first to avoid jams).
Adding some colour
If you don’t have ivory or brown paper, there are plenty of options—most of them free and eco-friendly. Try:
- Coffee or tea staining – soak paper in brewed coffee or tea (even old or bad tea works—my box of overly cheap, weak tea now lives in my craft cupboard for paper dyeing).
- Natural dyes from kitchen waste – boiled onion skins, beetroot peel, or berry juice give beautiful tones.
- Mixed effects – drip berry juice on wet paper for purple-blue tones; sprinkle warm coffee grounds for brown, with gentle green where the colours meet.
You can do this not only with copy paper, but with magazine pages, notebook paper, IKEA assembly instructions, or even the folded leaflets from medicine boxes.
This is also a fun weekend activity with kids – they love watching paper transform with colour.
Let’s talk legal issues
It sounds easy – photograph some illustrations, print them and use them forever. But here’s what you must keep in mind – Copyright!
- Copyright usually lasts for the author’s lifetime plus 70 years after their death. During this time, their heirs or rights holders control usage. Only after those 70 years have passed (counted from the end of the year the author died) does the work enter the public domain. In the U.S., works made for hire or anonymously often have a fixed copyright term—commonly 95 years from publication.
- In general, works published before 1929 are safe to use freely. Newer works are likely still protected unless explicitly released to the public domain. Always check, if you want to use a whole art piece!
If still under copyright:
- You cannot legally reproduce, scan or sell items featuring it without permission.
- You can transform it heavily – paint, collage, stamp, cut into shapes, etc. – until it’s no longer a direct copy.
- You can also use very small, non-substantial parts (a few words or an unrecognizable cropped detail).
You may not: scan or photograph copyrighted images/text and sell them as digital files or sell prints where the material is still clearly visible and recognizable.
When in doubt – ask permission. Many small publishers, illustrators and estates are happy to grant it if you credit them.
But is this still scrapbooking?
Some may say no, but I say yes. You’re still working with paper scraps, tearing, colouring and layering. You are using these images and paper pieces to create something new and to send an artistic message.
Think about it: every day, thousands of parcels filled with freshly printed “vintage” and “scrapbooking” ephemera are shipped worldwide. My method keeps sentimental books intact, creates something unique and personal, and leaves a far smaller ecological footprint than buying newly printed, shipped “old” paper. If you believe I am not right, I will be glad to hear your opinion.
Until then – enjoy your craft time!
If you’re a junk journaler or scrapbooker looking for new ways to use modern illustrations while keeping the vintage and sentimental mood, don’t miss my article Scrapbooking for Tea-lovers. And for ready-to-use treasures, browse my shop — featuring exclusive ephemera sets with distressed stamps and hand-drawn designs inspired by the summer beauty of Granada, Spain. Just click on the image below:
