Skip to Content

DIY Bookends: Top 20 Best Ideas for You to Test

Do you have a problem holding your favorites books together on a shelf? Whether you are an avid reader or just a photo lover, you may have some favorite volumes that give you a headache organizing on the shelves. Using bookends is the simplest way to solve this problem.

When handcrafted and well decorated, bookends can also act as the focal point in your room. We have put together some of the best DIY bookends ideas that will save you money to put in place. These bookends are simple to make and costs almost nothing. Most of the materials are readily available at home.

1. Telephone bookends

Telephone bookends

Did you know that vintage phones can be very decorative bookends to hold your book collection in place? Instead of hauling them away as garbage, you can decide to be crafty. In addition to the phones, you will need a sheet of metal, screws, glue, drill with drill bits, and paint.

Cut off the cord, remove the microphone, and make a center hole. Paint it with your favorite color, and then screw it onto the metal sheet. Glue the assembled unit onto your bookshelf to form the needed bookends. You can now enjoy your homemade bookends and keep your books intact.

2. Vase Bookends

Vase Bookends

Vase bookends are common trends that offer a classical way of holding your book collection together on the shelves. They may take various shapes and styles, depending on what you choose to put inside the vase. The most common ones are the vase bookends with succulent plants, starfish, seasonal accents, etc.

To make your own vase bookends, you will need clear glass vases, decorative paper, a pair of scissors, a pencil, glue, and a paintbrush. You can choose the vase filler of your choice. Please refer to The Spruce for a step-by-step approach to making vase bookends. It will help you save a few dollars.

3. Faux Ceramic Animal Bookends

Faux Ceramic Animal Bookends

For a high-end boutique, you may consider making your own Faux Ceramic Animal Bookend. These are specifically for animal lovers, who also want to show a high level of creativity. By DIY approach, you can accomplish this simple task in an hour or so.

You will need a wood board measuring about one foot by 4 feet, a wood saw, a screwdriver and screws, wood glue, and faux the animal. You can visit your nearest art shop to purchase one if you are not good at sculpturing work.

Cut the board into four pieces and join them to form a pair of L-shaped stands. Also, cut the Faux into two halves. The dissection is done vertically at the middle section such that the hind limbs go with the head and hind limbs with the tail. Glue everything together, and the result is faux animal bookends.

4. Striped Wooden Pyramid Bookends

Striped Wooden Pyramid Bookends

Making stripped wooden pyramid bookends is the simplest of all. You will need the following: white and black paints, paintbrushes, wood saw, pieces of wood, wood glue, and a measuring tape. You can also choose other paint colors as you deem fit.

Measure and cut the wood into the right sizes that fit onto your bookshelves. Do this after confirming that your pyramid design matches what you needed. Use it to glue together all pieces of wood. Paint the completed work of art to give it life. You will be amazed by the resulting bookends!

5. DIY Rainbow Bookends

DIY Rainbow Bookends

With the colorful rainbow, you have perfect bookends for your bookshelves. All you need to do is to skillfully craft it into what you actually want it to be. It may require a high level of precision when painting to get different rainbow colors, but the result is worth it.

As with all other DIY bookends discussed in this article, you will need different paint colors, paint brushes or sprayer, wood boards, glue, and measuring tape. You can make your own rainbow bookends by following the guides provided here. Struggle no more!

6. DIY Wood Triangle Bookends

DIY Wood Triangle Bookends

Being crafty with shapes can also result in breathtaking bookends. In this design, you use the well-known triangular shapes to hold your books together on the shelves. It is one of the easiest bookends on our list to make.

You will need measuring tape, wood boards, paint and paintbrush, screws, and glue. Cut the wood board into the required sizes according to your design. Use screws and glue to join them together to form triangular shapes on the front face. Paint the front face black or use any color of your choice.

7. Letter Bookends

Letter Bookends

Did you know that you can play with letters of the alphabet to make DIY bookends? Take this opportunity to show how your books are organized on the shelf by building A-Z bookends.

The baseboard on which you will place the letters can be constructed from anything. You can also style it according to your preference and choose your favorite font style. These can be made from wood or any other available material.

You will be amazed when glued together on the shelf. Follow the guide here to make your own letter bookends.

8. Concrete Bookends

Concrete Bookends

If you have a neutral-toned room, then concrete bookends might be the new addition to make all the difference. Concrete comes with shades of grey that will, no doubt, make your room incredibly stylish.

Making concrete bookends may require some skills shaping the mortar into what you want it to be. That may make you think of your neighbor who is a mason to come lend a hand, but no! eHow has a DIY approach that you can follow for a cost-effective concrete bookend.

9. Pineapple Bookends

Pineapple Bookends

Have you come across the pineapple images or statues used for interior decoration? It may sound strange but trust us when we say that it is the best DIY bookend approach of this century.

Golden pineapples sitting on a fixed base can be the perfect bookends you have been looking for. We will not list the requirements or the procedure of constructing it in this article. But if they have caught your eyes, then head to DIY Candy for a how-to. The steps are easy to follow and will not take you long.

10. DIY Cement Hexagon Bookends

Cement Hexagon Bookends

Hexagon is a lovely shape. It is chosen for this purpose because of its stability. To model a cement hexagon bookend, you will need cement, sand, polythene sheet, wood, screw or tacks, measuring tape, and paint of favorite colors.

The next step is molding the hexagonal shapes. Start by creating a hexagonal shape using wood to act as the bed. Spread the polythene sheet on a flat surface and place the constructed wood hexagonal structure on it. Make a mortar using sand, cement, and fine ballast.

You can then make a mold and paint it when dry. Place your polygons on the shelf, and there you go!

11. Galaxy-Inspired Bookends

Galaxy-Inspired Bookends

This is the easiest and most cost-effective bookend to make. If you are working with NEMA or just in love with the wonders of the universe, then galaxy-inspired bookends are your perfect patch.

Just pick any pair of rocks and repaint them with any color that will transform them into galaxy-like objects. The good thing is that you can easily repaint them with the paint color of your choice. You only need minutes to obtain a fresh look.

12. Animal bookends

Animal bookends

You might have an animal that you admire or that you associate with some aspect of your life. It is the best time when you can put that into practice. Take a lion, for instance. It is praised for its bravery, and its statue is almost in every state.

You can get your animal from any art store and then choose a base for it. You can go ahead to repaint it together with its base as you please. Nothing more is needed for it.

13. Book brick bookends

Book brick bookends

If you are working on a low budget, then choosing a book brick bookend may be the right option. Just take two bricks and wrap them with scrapbook paper. You can repaint the wrappe4d bricks to whatever you want, but we recommend giving it a side view of a book. Refer to this source.

14. The Record Bookends

The Record Bookends

Vinyl records were famous many years ago, but not anymore! Technology has brought forth many ways of listening to your favorite tunes, making these records practically obsolete. Instead of keeping them in your backyard or archive room, you can use them as bookends.

Take out two vinyl records. Submerge them into hot water until they are flexible enough to be folded. Fold them into two at right angles and glue them on your shelf.

15. Dinosaur Bookends

Dinosaur Bookends

Dinosaurs are extinct creatures that only still live in the mind of history lovers. If your shelf is full of historical books or you are just in love with these epic animals, then consider taking them home. You only need dinosaur sculptures and then spray-paint them to match your bookshelf.

16. Direction Signs Bookends

Direction Signs Bookends

Signposts are very popular in the city streets and on the countryside roads. What if you get creative and use literary destinations written on the wood as your bookends? It is simple to make! Just collect broken pieces of wood and attach them to a wooden post. Paint them grey-brown and write destinations of your choice on them.

17. DIY Superhero Bookends

DIY Superhero Bookends

If you love reading comic books or videos, then using superhero bookends is the most ideal. All kids like superheroes. So, if you want them to go crazy, then you can make these for them.

Say no to books lying down all over the place. Get requirements and a guide on how to make a superhero bookend at Little Red Window.

18. Nautical rope bookend

Nautical rope bookend

The rustic bookshelf may not go well with other bookends discussed in this article so far. But we still have something for you! Nautical rope bookends are the best in this case. You can acquire premade or make your own. You only need a rope and use your customized style for your nautical rope bookend.

19. DIY Arrow Bookends

DIY Arrow Bookends

This bookend style is the same as the faux animal bookend mentioned earlier. The only difference is that the Faux is substituted with a wooden arrow. This bookend gives an illusion of an arrow that has struck through the books.

You will need a piece of flat wood, round wood, glue, screws, wood saw, and tape measure. Cut the flat wood into four parts and screw them to form one pair of L-shaped structures. Make the head and the tail of your arrow and glue them onto each of them.

20. DIY Honeybear Bookends

DIY Honeybear Bookends

Honey bears can also be part of your bookends. The honey bear bottles or cans are available, and you only need to get creative with them. You can fill them with honey as the name suggests or any other liquid to give them weight. Repainting may be necessary to make them not feel out of place.

How to Make Your Own DIY Bookends?

You can save by using DIY bookends as opposed to premade ones. But how do you make sure that you come up with something that is not out of place? We have given you many ideas on this article that you can choose from. Note the following to get everything right:

  • Get all the requirements as listed under each DIY bookend idea.
  • Use the right tool for the right purpose.
  • Follow instructions carefully so that you don’t mess up the process.
  • You have to be confident that you can do it. Believe in yourself!

Conclusion

You have no excuse for having your books scattered on the table or lying everywhere in your room. We have presented the best DIY bookends ideas that are simple to make and cost-effective. Just with locally available materials, you can have attractive bookends that serve the purpose.

Let us know from the comment your favorite bookend from the list provided. Also, give us your comments or thoughts on this post.

More book decoration ideas here.