Whenever I begin planning a party, the first thing I do after brainstorming a theme is take an inventory of my house. What serveware and utensils are a good fit for this theme and color scheme? What decorative items can I repurpose for my table? What pieces can I paint or cover to give them the look I want? You’d be surprised where you find things if you just look—baskets tucked away in cupboards can hold favors, pretty storage boxes can be stacked to make pedestals, that mirror in the hall might look great behind your party’s buffet table. If you shop in your own home first, you’ll not only save a mint, you’ll get a look that’s more unique than picking up a matching set of party supplies at a store.

That’s why I love the key theme of today’s party shoot: books. I have loads of books in my home—books I treasure, books I’m done reading, books I haven’t gotten around to cracking open. For today’s party I gave those books a new life for a day as decorations in a book-themed bridal shower or engagement party. There are two kinds of book makeovers shown here: papered and painted. For books you love and want to keep in their original condition, buy Kraft paper in a few different colors and wrap up a few stacks of books to display on your table. I used painter’s tape to help keep the edges in place and hidden without damaging the books. Remove dust jackets before wrapping. If you have books that you don’t intend to keep, grab some acrylic paint in your color scheme and paint directly on the book’s exterior. This is a great opportunity to get creative with stamps, embossing or stencils. These beautiful books will be just as readable when you’re done.

For this look, I also used a paper punch to cut heart shapes in both Kraft paper and book pages. I used my sewing machine to stitch the hearts into draping garlands for a backdrop. To top things off I added in a few complementing serving pieces and my aqua Ball jars as vases. Want to take the book theme further? Have guests write words of wisdom in your Book of Love, line the envelopes of your invitations with book pages, or display book excerpts or lines of poetry in matching frames around the room.

Erin from Host-It Notes hosts the ultimate party blog, full of ideas, inspiration and DIY tutorials for just about every kind of party. So, you can imagine we’re totally over the moon with the gorgeous bridal shower inspiration shoot she’s put together exclusively for Delightfully Engaged!