Do you have any items in your home that are beyond their usefulness yet you still keep them around? That’s how it’s been with my wooden knife holder. I’ve owned it for at least 15 years and it’s seen better days. When I saw a creative DIY knife holder in a recent issue of Flea Market Style magazine, I knew a change was on the horizon.

Do you like home projects that cost no money and only take minutes to complete? Me too! Seriously, I think this kitchen project took me less than 15 minutes to tackle. Everything I needed I already had on hand, so no money left my purse.

Here’s my old knife caddy. It’s beat up and my largest knife doesn’t even fit in it. About half my knives are stored in a utensil drawer because they don’t fit either. I haven’t been able to get new knives due to lack of storage. But that’s all changed now.

I have too many books in my home, but I hate to get rid of any of them. I use them to prop up lamps and plants and use them for decorating. When not in use I have to find a place to store them. So for me, it was a no-brainer to create a DIY knife holder using vintage books. I gathered a variety of colors – it would’ve been a neat idea to use old cookbooks, but I didn’t have enough of them that I no longer use.

Once you choose your books, arrange them in a pleasing color palette. Cut a piece of rope or twine long enough to wrap once or twice around the stack of books.

Tie a simple decorative knot or bow. Be sure not to pull the rope or twine too tight. You want your books to have a little breathing room so you can comfortably slip a knife between the pages.

You can see that I’m able to fit all of the knives into my new DIY knife holder. Not only that, but I’ve got room to spare when I buy new knives. Some of my knives are a little old and should be replaced. If six books aren’t enough to house your knife collection, just add another book or two!

My DIY knife holder made from old books adds more character to my farmhouse kitchen than the old caddy.

Sometimes it’s little touches like this that add personality to your living spaces. And when they’re free – all the better.

I’ve kept a lot of old issues of magazines, and I still thumb through them for inspiration. You never know what you might find to inspire you!