This Woman Turned A 110-Year-Old Tree Into A Magical Free Little Library

Little Free Libraries are already pretty magical, considering they house books that can be borrowed and returned for free. But this one — made out of a 110-year-old-tree — is a little extra special.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, resident Sharalee Armitage Howard told KREM 2 News that a huge cottonwood tree in their yard had started to rot and became a danger for parked cars and the sidewalk beneath it due to falling branches. So, sadly, the family had to cut the tree down. But instead of removing the entire tree, they left a stump behind and transformed it into something useful for the entire neighborhood.

Where a towering 110-year-old tree once stood now stands an adorable Free Little Library. Proud of her efforts, Howard posted about the new addition to her yard on Facebook. Thousands have since shared and liked the post online:

“Ok, this project isn’t quite finished… but I can’t wait to share it.” Howard wrote on the Facebook post. “We had to remove a huge tree that was over 110 years old, so I decided to turn it into a little free library (which I’ve always wanted). Here it is (minus some cleanup, vegetation, and trim work).”

It’s one of just thousands of free libraries that exist across the world as part of the Free Little Library nonprofit organization, which helps people set up tiny libraries anywhere to create a neighborhood book exchange. And while there are plenty of interesting Little Free Library designs out there, this one is certainly far from average. Howard took the time to carve out the tree’s stump and added a door with glass window panes to create the most adorable little nook for storing books.

Here’s another view of it, looking beautiful in the snow:

She followed up with even more photos to show a close-up look at the tiny little library:

How adorable!

This Little Free Library is definitely one for the books — pun intended! But, as far as unique Little Free Libraries go, this one isn’t alone.

Check out this other example: A major “Doctor Who” fan in Detroit decided to create a library that fans of the show could appreciate. It’s shaped like a TARDIS time machine.

Get a look at it from the National Book Foundation’s Twitter post:

Pretty awesome, huh?

Special little landmarks like these will help keep the magic of reading alive!

To find a Free Little Library near you, be sure to visit the Little Free Library website. Or, you could always pay Coeur d’Alene or Detroit a visit to see these amazing Little Free Libraries in person!