Rebound Designs
ABOUT ME:
Welcome to Rebound Designs, a second chance for well-loved books. My name is Caitlin Phillips and I’ve been in love with books since I could read. My first job was working at my favorite used bookstore, where I discovered how many unwanted and damaged books get thrown away. As a dedicated life-long crafter/recycler, I resolved to find a way to reuse these unwanted books, and in 2004 I was struck with inspiration. I created the first Book Purse, a functional handbag made from a recycled hardback book. Since then I’ve expanded my collection to include blank journals and coaster sets, all made from recycled books. Book lovers, don’t fret! Most of my books come from libraries, thrift stores, dusty boxes from grandmothers’ attics, and even the occasional dumpster. Many are already damaged, and anything super special or valuable ends up as a treasured addition to my personal library. Hundreds of thousands of books are thrown away every year but I do my part to keep as many out of landfills as I can and give them a new life as useful art.
ABOUT MY PRODUCTS:
Each Book Purse is made from a hardback book cover, with the pages removed and the spine becoming the bottom of the purse. I line each purse with fabric to match the cover, sew vintage buttons onto the covers as closures, and add handles to make them into handbags, or leave them off to create clutches. The hardback books that don’t end up as purses become Recycled Book Journals, with some of the original pages left inside and blank paper mixed in, bound with wire. My Coaster Sets are made of the leftover pages, mostly illustrations, mounted on aluminum and coated in mylar to protect the paper, with cork on the back.
