New Uses for Old Medical Textbooks

By Kelly Ladd-Sanchez * Photos by Carrie Garcia

How many old medical books are lining the walls of your office or home library? And how often do you consult those texts? Depending on how long ago you graduated from medical school, those books may have more sentimental value than useful information. But there's still a place for them in your life--if you turn them into beautiful planters, clocks, and stash boxes. Directions follow.

PLANTER: Using a ruler and pencil, mark a 1 1/2-inch border on the top page. Tape the edges down and use a box cutter to cut along the lines, a few pages at a time, until you've cut through at least 3/4 of the pages. Brush the inside with school glue and let dry. Create a liner by adhering plastic wrap with glue dots to the inside. Fill with succulents, soil, rocks, and moss.

CLOCK: On the first page of the book, use a box cutter to cut a square the size of the clock's mechanics (which can be purchased from a crafts store). Continue cutting pages until you've created a space large enough for the mechanics to fit snugly inside. Drill a hole in the book's front cover as large as the peg protruding from the mechanics. Close the cover so the peg sticks out, then start assembling the clock hands according to the instructions on the mechanics' packaging.

STASH BOX: Use a ruler and pencil to mark a 1 1/2-inch border (start a few pages into the book). Tape the edges down. Use a box cutter to cut along the lines, a few pages at a time, until you've cut away at least 3/4 of the pages. Use sandpaper to smooth the inside edges. Brush school glue on the inside and outside of the pages, all the way around. Let dry.