5-23-2025 3:13pm

"Suddenly, That Stack of Books is the Prettiest Detail in the Room"

Lorraine Mabbett Editor

Scouring thru estate and garage sales for decor elements is an increasingly popular weekend past-time. Often overlooked are books, with covers, unless you see them as a base to decorate.

IronOrchid Designs creates and sells intricate stencils for the home crafter, hobbyists, and skilled furniture and home decor artists. They also provide stunning:

TRANSFERS
MOULDS
PAINT INLAYS
STAMPS

A recent video posted by IronOrchid Designs on social media detailed their new products with an emphasis on transforming books, without a cover, into pieces of art for your shelf.

A few years ago, home & office decorators removed the covers from books and then arranged them on a shelf based on the color; creating a backdrop for other items to complement the red, green, black, or brown typical of most books.

Meanwhile, in 2025 IronOrchid has gone a step further and created a stunning piece of art.

"You guys know how much we love giving thrifted books a second chance as lovely, vintage accents. A little gilding, some floral sprays, or whimsical details, and suddenly, that stack of books is the prettiest detail in the room. 😍"

Secondhand books are typically priced from $1 -$10 depending on the topic/author, published date and or popularity. Bundle pricing is often available, especially if there is a large inventory. Generally, outside of children's books and cookbooks, a stack of books purchased solely to use as a base for decorating can be obtained easily any weekend at estate and garage sales. Or without the time restraints of a weekend sale at the Salvation Army, Hope of the Valley, and other charity /non-profit storefronts.

EstateSale listings are visible, either on the website of those who organize them, their social media account, or most popularly EstateSales.net and EstateSales.org. Whereas, garage sales are still found on Craigslist and of course Facebook Marketplace. Both utilize the age-old dependable system of posting signage at heavily trafficked street corners in the vicinity of the sale.

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