Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my first official DIY on HGTV Handmade. My very first video on HGTV’s new YouTube channel was my craft room tour. If you want to watch that click HERE.
For today’s DIY project we will make bookends from scrap lumber. This is a great way to repurpose old lumber. I love that this is such a simple style yet chic with an earthy element.
For materials I will be using 4 blocks of wood. Each blocks are about 3.5” in width and 1.5” in thickness. These are offcuts from a 2×4 that we had lying around from some construction.
You don’t need the exact measurement since this should be based on whatever recyclable wood blocks you can find to repurpose. If you don’t have existing wood to use, there are plenty of free recycled pieces at your local home department stores, or you can ask a local construction foreman or carpenter.
Next, get some primer and gold metallic paint. You can also use craft acrylic paint for this project.
Last, you will need wood glue to attach the long and short blocks together and sand paper to smoothen the cut edges.
Instruction:
Step 1) Cut out your wood blocks in 2 sets and make sure they match in measurements. If you will be buying your wood, you can have the employees at your local lumber store to do this for you.
These are my standard measurements:
2 pieces of 8 inch long blocks and
2 pieces of 4 inch long blocks
*You can of course use other measurements according to your personal preference.
Step 2) Sand the edges and any rough patches.
Once that’s done, clean off all the dust with a damp paper towel.
Step 3) Create an L-shape with the long and shorter blocks.
Lay down the longer block and place the glue along one end, then place the shorter block on top.
*Allow this to bond for up to 24 hours
Step 4) On the following day, you can start to paint your book end.
Clean around the wood, then prime it. I always like to prime anything I paint because this will keep the main coat of paint looking more vibrant. Let the primer set for about an hour before spraying on the paint. If you feel you need a extra coat of paint… give it 1-2 hours in between.
Let the paint set over night before putting it to use!
There are so many fun ways to decorate the book ends !
One of my favorite way to decorate is by making my own mini terrarium. This will bring a outdoor element into your office or room.
To make one… I used a recycled candle jar, added in some pebbles, then the plant followed by some potting soil. That’s pretty much all to it!
I like also like to place pretty little minerals or stones on these ends. It adds a pop of color!
Other cute ways to decorate the book ends- is with fake indoor plants, a mini bank or using a cute holiday them mug to keep things festive around the desk or shelf.
Love,
Ann