Turn an old book into a paper tray

I love taking an old book and turning it into something else. This time I had some papers around that I needed to hang on to. I needed an inbox, but the plastic paper trays I found in stores didn't feel right. So I grabbed an old book for free at the local recycling center.

As always, I cut into the book with a box cutter. Just be careful you don't rip the pages as you cut them.  You can glue the pages together before cutting if this feels difficult.

Try hold the first few dozen pages firmly together as you cut. Otherwise they'll rip right off or your later cuts won't be straight.

As you cut further into the book it's harder to keep the cuts straight. In this case it doesn't matter as much, 'cause the insides are really not visible.

Fully cut! I left the last page uncut so it's easier to glue everything together.

Next up: Some universal glue. I use a piece of cardboard to spread it everywhere. If the glue is tough enough, you don't have to get as much in between pages. It's enough to spread it on the sides.

All glued up. Make sure that the pages remain straight and the covers line up. 

Put the book under something heavy (like a concise dictionary of the English language) for a while.

All done! Here's my DIY paper tray holding papers!

View from the front. You could make three of these to have an inbox, outbox and a tray for stuff that's waiting for something.