Uses for old telephone books: craft and cutting surface
Who uses a paper telephone book anymore? We don't, yet we can't seem to get our phone company to stop leaving them on our doorstep. Now that leaf-pressing season's behind us, what to do with these behemoths? Use them as a cutting surface!
My daughter has taken to using a craft knife for some of her art projects, and the phone book makes a perfect surface for her to cut on. Cardboard or old magazines would work as well, but the Yellow Pages are sitting around waiting for a job, so why not?
Would also work under projects that require gluing...just rip out the page for a clean surface.
Have you got a creative reuse for telephone books?
Related: Telephone books as scribble material
I haven't tried it yet (brand new phone book sitting here waiting) but my mom says they're great for pressing flowers.
Posted by: Kate | 10 January 2011 at 07:57 AM
Papier-mâché. Deep cuts from the end with a razor yield stacks of perfect strips.
Posted by: Mikewatanabe | 10 January 2011 at 10:40 AM
tossed it in the recycle bin. I have enough clutter from school work. If we need a cutting surface, I use the paper cutter or a kitchen cutting board.
Posted by: Lin | 10 January 2011 at 10:41 AM
With some duct tape and two telephone books, you have yourself a booster seat. This worked out really well in our house for years and didn't cost a thing.
Posted by: Sara Tetreault | 10 January 2011 at 12:25 PM
Booster seat, paper mache, recycling, step stool, thing to put under the DLP to make the picture adjust just right on the wall...
Posted by: Dawn | 10 January 2011 at 12:48 PM
Great ideas! Though I did see, when our phone books arrived most recently, they did include a link right on the front cover, to go to their website and let them know if we didn't want to get the paper phone book anymore. Given that we get several phone books (large metro area, plus books from a few competing companies), it was a relief to get our names off the rolls for at least one!
Posted by: Kendra | 10 January 2011 at 01:41 PM
fabulous idea! i have 3 phone books in my garage just waiting for a craft project! :) Thanks
Posted by: Lizzie @ Infectious Chatter | 10 January 2011 at 02:00 PM
Try www.yellowpagesoptout.com and see if you can get them to stop delivering.
Posted by: Kate | 10 January 2011 at 06:57 PM
I swear they deliver a phone book to my house twice a month. I never use them (hello, heard of the internet?) and feel like it's such a waste. At least this will give me SOMETHING to do with them :).
Posted by: Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids | 11 January 2011 at 11:29 AM
Save one of them (what do you do when the power goes out? We were mighty happy to have a paper phone book last summer when the big tree in the backyard was blown down by a thunderstorm, tearing down the power lines.. needed to call an electrician, the power company, tree guys, etc, etc)
Posted by: Eve | 11 January 2011 at 12:38 PM
I keep the yellow pages in the car, for when we're out and want to find the closest whatever.
Posted by: flynn | 11 January 2011 at 04:22 PM
foundation piecing quilts!
Posted by: Jen | 11 January 2011 at 05:04 PM
I use it for printmaking. I put my block on the book and use the brayer to spread the ink on the block. I rip off a new page every time I re-ink.
Posted by: Tamara | 12 January 2011 at 08:00 AM
We got our names off the list...and phone books arrived this year anyway. Sigh.
Posted by: Asha Dornfest | 12 January 2011 at 02:04 PM
Do you find craft knives safe though with the kids, I think i would be scared to let them near one!, This post is a blessing though as it gives lots of inspiration to turn those old books into something creative!!! Thanks
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