Framed Art
You can remove the covers, or the illustrations, to create framed artwork. If you want to preserve the actual books, instead of ripping them out, place the images on a color copy machine and make your own homemade reproductions. With some machines, you can enlarge the images, too.
You can make Andy Warhol style prints from your favorite illustrations by scanning them into the computer and using your image editing software to change the hues. An arrangement of red, green and yellowed versions of the same picture can create a striking display.
Heavy Duty Book Altering
You can alter hardcover books to make other useful items. A stack of Nancy Drew mystery books can be glued together and hollowed out to form a tissue box holder, for example. You can remove several book covers and adhere them to the outside of a custom-made cornice in a reading nook.
Books on a shelf
Don't underestimate the beauty of books simply sitting on a shelf. If you have a particular favorite, you can place it alone on a shelf, or with other literary treasures, to form a nostalgic display.
Coffee Table Books
Coffee table books are usually large, and rich with pictures. Placing an assortment of vintage children's picture books on your coffee table can be a whimsical way to display them. Guests are sure to enjoy being surprised by their childhood favorites.
Decorating the Nursery
You can decorate your baby's nursery with your favorite vintage children's books. Placing them on a high shelf (imagine if your toddler destroyed it) keeps them accessible, so you can share them with your children when the time comes.
You can buy printer paper that creates an iron-on transfer and scanned images from your childhood favorites can be printed out and transferred to a quilt square or a pillowcase. For a whimsical look, replace the heads in the picture with heads of family members. You can also make place mats, bibs, aprons and handkerchiefs this way.
Be imaginative, and look for opportunities to work the illustrations and book covers from your favorite children's book into your decorating schemes.
