"We judge every book by its cover.”

Best friends Pam Shafer and Laurena Davis both love to read, so for Davis’ birthday five years ago, Shafer made a purse for Davis out of her then-favorite book — The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig — a title recommended by Grand Valley Books’ store owner Margie Wilson.

Delighted both by the gift and the joy of creating it, the two friends decided to go into business creating their “Bookish Purses” out of hardback book covers — which are sold at Grand Valley Books, 350 Main St. in Grand Junction. Shafer and Davis also sell the purses at various arts festivals in Western Colorado.

They search for used hardback books with interesting covers, remove the pages, line the inside with fabric that somehow relates to the book’s theme, then add handles and “embellishments,” like vintage buttons, charms or keychains — objects relevant to the title — to create one-of-a-kind purses. “We emptied our shelves, then started going to library and estate sales” to find more books, Davis says.

“It has to have an interesting cover,” Shafer notes. “They are quite often older books, because usually newer books only have dust covers with the design and a boring hardback cover on the inside.”

Thus, their motto: “We judge every book by its cover.”

Shafer and Davis accept custom orders, like the time a woman asked for a purse made from Woman 99: A Historical Thriller — a book written by her author friend Greer Macallister. Collectible or rare books, as well as religious tomes are off-limits.

They’re always on the lookout for excellent condition Nancy Drew books, because “people are nostalgic” about those novels, says Pam. And, they’ve crafted a lot of purses out of books with dogs on the cover, because, well, they both love dogs.

The best friends work at the dining room table in Davis’ Clifton home, where they keep bins of fabric, boxes of books, jars of buttons and various “embellishments.” Sometimes they start with an iconic trinket and build from there. “Pam is really good at finding great embellishments and seeing how it all goes together,” Davis reveals. “She’s always on the lookout. I totally nerd out on vintage buttons. I come from a family of seamstresses.”

Fabric for the purses’ interiors is chosen to fit the book’s theme. For example, the Herpetology purse has an interior made from material with an iridescent, white scaled pattern. The World of the American Indian purse includes a turquoise charm and a silver Native American button for the clasp — perfect accompaniments to the purse’s American Indian design.

Designing and selling their bookish purses is a fun way to spend time together, while also being creative and productive, they say. They’re both busy women; Shafer teaches kindergarten at Scenic Elementary in Grand Junction, and Davis teaches classes at Colorado Mesa University, while also pursuing a Ph.D.

Even the purse’s price tags are charming. Remember the vintage checkout cards that patrons used to sign when borrowing library books? From her school librarian, Shafer acquires old checkout cards which are cut up and hole-punched to use as price tags. Shafer recalls a serendipitous moment during a Grand Junction arts and crafts fair when a woman who was perusing purses suddenly froze when she spotted her sister’s fourth grade signature on a tag. The woman bought the purse, of course.

Though creating the purses is a labor-intensive process, they strive to keep prices affordable, between $40 and $75. Grand Valley Books is restocked each month with new bookish purses.

“What we have found is people want to buy when they see them in-person,” Davis says. “They’re surprised when they open it up and it works as a purse. They can look at 20 of them; it’s a hands-on experience.”

They also sell their bookish purses at the annual Ridgway Rendezvous Arts and Crafts Festival in mid-August and the Cedaredge Applefest, which happens this year, October 7-9.

Most often, the leftover pages are recycled, although Shafer and Davis once made a decoupage backdrop for their booth at one arts festival. If it’s a book that Davis wants to read, she’ll place the pages on her shelf to read later.

“We give books fabulous new life,” Davis says. “We keep them in circulation in a different way. They’re been read. They’ve been loved.”

Visit Bookish Purses on Facebook: facebook.com/bookishpurses/, or email: bookishpurses23@gmail.com.

Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Bookish Purses: A Unique, One-Of-A-Kind Handbag