8 DIY Bookends Ideas For Your Home
DIY Bookends are a fun and creative way to add personal touch to your spaces. They hold your books safely and sturdy while bringing your style into the plain bookshelf. With easy-to-find materials, a bit of time, and some creativity, you can make unique bookends that reflect your taste. It could be anything from painted rocks or bricks, old toys, glued together wooden pieces, to crafted ceramic figures. If you also want a pair for your personal library, I have compiled the Best DIY Bookend ideas that are easy to make and made with accessible materials.
No matter if you’re an avid reader, book collector, or even a video gamer, our collection is sure to match your taste. If you don’t find your specific interest, you can use the same method and incorporate something that represents your passion. These wall decoration ideas not only keep your books organized, but also showcase your interests and hobbies. So, explore the entire list of DIY projects, find the one you like, and start creating today.
What can I use instead of bookends?
- DIY Bookends: Use heavy items at home, like bricks or rocks.
- Stacked Books: Stack some books horizontally to keep others in place.
- Home Decor: Use heavy statues or ceramic objects.
- Storage Boxes: Small and weighty storage boxes work well.
- Filled Jars: Jars or cans filled with heavy items.
- Portrait Frames: Heavy picture frames can be used.
- Plants: Weighty potted plants.
- Vinyl Records: Old records can keep books upright.
DIY Arrow Bookends
These DIY Arrow Bookends bring a unique blend of creativity and functionality to your home decor. They brilliantly represent arrows seemingly shot through your collection of books. They could be a delightful addition to a child’s room or even to an adult’s space for a touch of elegance.
First, construct the bookends by stacking wood pieces and attaching them with screws. Sculpt an arrowhead on one end of a dowel using silver modeling clay and bake it for hardening. Make the arrow tail by attaching feathers to another piece of the dowel using tape. Finally, drill holes in the bookends, slide each arrow piece into these holes, and secure them using wood glue. Place the bookends on your shelves and fill them with books.
Materials:
- Wood glue
- Small dowel
- Feathers
- Colored tape
- Silver clay
Skill level: advanced
10. How To Make Vinyl-Record Bookends
If you are a music lover and love to add a vintage touch to your home decor, then these DIY Vinyl Record Bookends are an ideal choice for you. They may not be sturdy enough to hold up a huge record collection, but they will certainly add a ‘retro’ vibe to your bookshelf.
Begin by heating a large pot of water to a low boil. Pour this boiling water into a pan. You then partially dip your record into the boiling water to a level that determines your desired bookend height. Once malleable, remove it from the water. Using a wood block, mold the softened portion of the record into a 90° angle on a counter, ensuring all ripples are smoothed out before it hardens. Repeat steps as necessary for multiple bookends. It’s important not to reheat and rebend the records as this can produce undesirable results.
Materials:
- Two vinyl records
- A flat-bottomed, heat-resistant container (a cake pan worked well for us)
- A flat wood surface (we used a cutting board)
- A pot for boiling water
- Oven mitts
DIY Wood Triangle Bookends
DIY Wood Triangle Bookends, with their geometrical simplicity of triangles, is an elegant and modern way to organize your books. Each bookend measures 100mm tall and wide, and you can easily adjust the size depending on your needs.
Measure and cut out three pieces of wood. Two pieces are straight cuts, while the third piece, the longest one, is cut at a 45° angle on both ends. Then, apply wood glue to attach the shortest piece to another piece at a right angle. Once the glue dries, attach the longest piece, again using wood glue. Finally, section off the bookends’ edges, paint them in your preferred color and remove the tape once the paint dries.
Materials:
- Wood
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Hand saw
- Miter box (or miter saw)
- Wood glue
- Painter’s tape
- Black acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
Skill level: moderate
Fancy DIY Bookends
Add a natural touch to your room decor while organizing your books with these DIY Bookends. Whether you are using the mini pumpkins for autumn or a model of the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty that brings life to your travel guides collection, these bookends promise to impress.
Kick-off this DIY project by tracing the width of your vase on the backside of your decorative paper. Cut inside the line by about 1/8 inch. Ensure it fits perfectly into the vase, making any necessary trims. Repeat the same procedure at the top of the vase. Finally, apply a thin coat of glue or decoupage medium to the back of the paper before placing it inside the vase. Make sure to smooth out any bubbles. Replicate these steps with the second vase. Let the glue dry to complete your artistic bookends.
Materials:
- Two clear glass vases
- Decorative paper
- Vase filler such as small pebbles or sand (optional)
Skill level: moderate
Low Budget DIY Bookends
How To Make Easy Bookends
These DIY bookends are highly customizable, with the option to use the whole alphabet or your child’s initials; plus, you can choose any color and print to match your decor. Not only do they efficiently hold your books in place, but they also serve as a decorative addition to the space.
To create these DIY bookends, begin by cutting a pine or MDF board based on the dimensions of the intended letters. Sand the pieces, glue them together, and secure them with nails. Choose appealing scrapbook paper, trace letters on the back, carefully cut them out, and glue the paper letters onto wooden or MDF letters. Paint the base and letters with a matching color, distress the edges if desired, and attach the letters to the base using hot glue. Your personalized bookends are now ready to add charm to any bookshelf.
Materials:
- Pine or MDF board
- Wooden or MDF letters at least 1″ wide
- Craft paint
- Paintbrush
- Craft Glue or spray adhesive
- Chop saw, or hand saw
- Hot glue gun
- Nail gun or hammer and small nails
- Scrapbook paper
Skill level: moderate
DIY Invisible Bookends
Impress your guests with these innovative bookends with a simple yet effective design. They use a thin metal bookend to support your book collection while appearing invisible. Plus, it’s also a good way to repurpose your old books.
Start by unbinding a book from its spine using a razor or craft blade. Fit a wooden board inside the book to mark the exact length you need, and cut the board to this length. Position the wooden blocks and metal bookends, apply glue, and leave some space from the edges to avoid a messy appearance. Once everything is glued, clamp it all together and use extra pieces of lumber to avoid indentations on the book. Allow it to dry. Your invisible bookends are all set to pose on your bookshelf.
Materials:
- 2 books with 1″ spines
- 2 thin metal bookends
- 1×6 board or a board of another dimension to fit your book (see notes below)
- Super glue
- Clamps
- Craft blade
Skill level: advanced
DIY Bookends From Vintage Rolling Pins
Even rolling pins can be used for making book ends showing the unique style in red and white color. These unique DIY bookends will add a charming touch to your kitchen while supporting your favorite cookbooks in style.
Begin your project by sawing rolling pins and a wooden plaque to your preferred size. Spray paint the pieces, create a design using painter’s tape, and allow them to dry. Scan and print recipe cards, then attach them to the rolling pins using Mod Podge. Once dry, trim excess paper and coat with Mod Podge for durability. Attach L-brackets to the plaque for added stability and mark positions to drill holes. Align holes on rolling pins and plaque, then screw to connect parts. Attach protective pads to the bookends’ base. Your vintage-look DIY bookends are ready.
Materials:
- Matte Mod Podge
- Wooden rolling pins
- A wooden plaque
- Metal L-brackets – 2
- Assorted wood screws – 12
- Painter’s tape
- Spray paint
- Felt pads
- Digital scans of recipe cards
- 220-grit sandpaper (optional)
Skill level: moderate
DIY Cute Stuffed Bookends
Stuffed animal crafts are super popular now but also pretty crafty. This DIY tutorial shows you how to make double-sided bookends using a stuffed toy. You can use any stuffed animal toy, another decorative item in this project, or even something you have around the house that’s already cute enough.
Creating these adorable bookends begins by designing an owl pattern and cutting it out from your fabric of choice. Next, you must compose your owl’s design with the eyes and wings, then sew everything together. Upon completion of sewing, fill up the cute owls with stuffing, ensuring that the weighted material is weighed down at the bottom for stability. Once done, your charming owl bookends are ready to keep your books organized.
Materials:
- Fabric
- Felt
- Flannel
- Sewing materials
- Stuffing material
- Rice
