8 Cheap Ways to Express Your Book-Mania

  If you're like me, and buying book t-shirts is depleting your bank account, then you may be looking for a way to express how much you love books that won't make you go broke. BUT NEVER FEAR. LIBBY THE BOOK AVENGER IS HERE. Here are some cheap ways to come out as a book nerd, even though everyone already knows.

1. Buy Book Buttons. (Do you like my alliteration?)
  Mine are currently attached to my backpack but you can put them anywhere. I bought mine from Parnassus, my local bookstore, but you can probably find them at chains, such as Books-A-Million. They usually come in deals like "buy 4 for a dollar" so they're super cheap. They say fun stuff like "I like big books and I cannot lie" The Percy Jackson ones may be a little harder to find. I got them at a Rick Riordan event where they gave them out. Specialized pins are more expensive, but generic book pins will cost you almost nothing. 

2. Make a Book Collage
  This one is super simple. I got a bulletin board and some assorted push pins from Michael's (sorry I don't recall the prices). Then I just printed out some of my favorite fandom images off of the Internet and arranged them on the board. The collages work best if you have a color scheme in mind when you're choosing your pictures. I went for a black and white with bright, primary colors, but other schemes like neon or pastels would look good, too. 

3. Magnet Mania!
  Where in the house does everything of importance go? That's right, it's the fridge! Why not hang up your diploma or babysitting certificate with some epic book magnets? I got these City of Bones movie magnets at Books-A-Million in a pack with stickers and tattoos for around ten dollars. The magnets by themselves would cost less.

4. Posters, Posters Everywhere!!!
  Posters, my secret weakness, are some of the best ways to express your nerdiness. As you can see, not all of these are book related, but you can really easily make them that way. I got the grumpy cat and marvel posters from Target for $7 each. The Lizzie Bennet Poster is from DFTBA.com for $15 as is the Crash Course Periodic Table poster for $18. The French the Llama, Ellen Hardcastle, and DFTBA posters came in a package deal for $28, also from DFTBA.com. (Click here to check it out!). My fault in our stars poster was given to me for free at a TFIOS event back in May, when John Green and the cast came to my city, but I'm sure you can find it online somewhere. I'm still looking for more posters, possibly book-ish ones, if you know some good ones, please comment where you got them! 

5. Color Coded Bookshelf Swag (I can't believe I just said that) 
  The only thing this will cost you is time. All you need is books, a bookshelf, and nothing better to do for the next 45 minutes. With this bookshelf, anyone who walks into your room will know you put effort and love into caring for your bookshelf. #rainbowbooks

6. Book Marks Are Da Bomb
  You can find cheap bookmarks almost anywhere, but if you prefer a more personal look, you can make them yourself. I recommend duct tape if you want something more durable. What I like to do is draw on paper with sharpie (lasts longer and doesn't smear) then laminate it so it's waterproof and doesn't rip. 

7. Book Jewelry

  This one might not be so cheap. You can find jewelry like the time turner and the mockingjay for $15 at Books-A-Million or you can check out Etsy for more quality and more expensive items like the TFIOS necklace. The Egyptian ankh is from Claire's and the Ravenclaw necklace was a gift, so I don't know where to find it or how much it costs. Sorry. The Deathly Hallows necklace is actually one of the most expensive nerd things I've ever bought. It's from Harry Potter World for $50, but that's only because it's an exact replica of the one Xenophelius wore in the movie. 

8. As a last resort, you can always just order t-shirts online and suffer the consequences. *sigh* There goes my allowance.
  The majority of these are off of Amazon and Redbubble (great for fandom stuff, just expensive). The City of Bones and TFIOS tank tops came from Hot Topic and the other TFIOS shirt is from Books-A-Million. Shirts online are typically $20-$30 plus shipping.

  I hope this list has been helpful and I've saved you some money. Happy reading!
-LIBBY. 



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