11 Creative Ways to Organize Your Book Collection

Who says books have to stand up vertically? Turn your textbooks and your bookshelves into a work of art by stacking them in columns. Whether you color-code them as well is up to you, but either way it makes a great statement piece for your wall.

Color-coding your books is a great way to make your textbooks look interesting, even if they're not. Mix them in with some of your other, brighter books if you need more color for a fun and kooky addition to your space.

While this is definitely not the most practical way to store books if you need them regularly, it is a great way to hide those boring titles like Psychology 101 and the inevitable blue, yellow, and red color schemes most textbooks seem to have. It's also an easy way to blend your textbooks with that neutral color palette you've been working so hard to achieve.

If your textbooks are a bit of an eyesore, throw some distractions on your bookshelves in the form of knickknacks. Put some of your favorite pieces like framed pictures, souvenirs, and candles that take your textbooks from the focus to the background.

Do you have a table that's not quite high enough or a large surface you want to add some dimension to? You can do this easily by stacking some textbooks, and you can re-create this almost anywhere you want.

Bookends aren't just for keeping your books from falling over anymore. Turn them into a sculpture with some cute bookends that match the rest of your decor. Keep them in small groups so the bookends are the focus of the arrangement.

These bookshelves add dimension and variety to an otherwise fairly simple book arrangement. Try this with your own textbooks and bookshelf for a quirky feel without very much effort.

While this might not work for those math and geography books, why not use some of your more attractive textbooks as coffee-table books? This works best with art, architecture, fashion, and photography books but can also work with history and other subjects depending on the book.

If you don't have a bookshelf — or you just want to try something different — try storing your books in a decorative basket. For a rustic feel, try a wicker basket, which will also be better at disguising your books. This wire basket is great for a modern space.

This stylish way for storing books also doubles as a great way to save money on furniture! Use some of your bulkiest textbooks to create a side table. The best part? You can create a table that's the perfect height for your chair or bedside.

Do your textbooks really stand out in the rest of your space? Find some pretty craft paper or wrapping paper and cover them up so they fit seamlessly into the rest of your decor.