Scavenger Chic

Upcycled and Recycled DIY Bookends

• By Joan
• October 9, 2024
• No Comments

Upcycled and Recycled DIY Bookends

A while back I was asked by my daughter in law if I had anything she could use for bookends.  My mind immediately went to my scrap pile.  I must have something in there that would make decent bookends.  

This is what I came up with from my stash, 2 cut off pieces of wood ( I really can’t remember what I cut them off of) and  since the wood was a little light, 2 flat brackets or mending plates for the base.

First thing I did was cut  off the bottom part of the wood pieces so the bookends would sit on the area with the extra trim.

I then rounded the top with a jigsaw to get rid of the boxy look.

Sand all the edges well.

I used chalk paint to first paint the pair of bookends black and then covered up the black with white chalk paint.

When the edges of the bookend are lightly sanded you’ll see just a touch of the black paint peeking through.

Remember all those IOD transfers I used back in 2022.  This was a chance to use one more, an image of an old clock.

Cut out the image you would like to transfer and lay it over top of your project.

To purchase IOD transfers, check out their website for a nearby retailer.

Tape your image in place and use the included burnisher, just a piece of hard plastic with rounded edges, to press down on all parts of the design.

Slowly peel off the backing of the transfer.  If any part of the decal did not adhere, go back over it with the burnishing tool.  Voila, you have a perfectly painted clock design.

I used clear wax to seal the design.

Since my wood was lightweight, I screwed on these mending plates to sit under the books.  The weight of the books will keep the bookends upright.

The bookends work perfectly and the books hide the metal from the plates.

When I gave the bookends to my daughter in law, she did like them but said I didn’t have to go to all the trouble of making a set  from scratch.  She just wanted to know if I had anything in my stash that was heavy enough to hold up a bunch of books.

OK, I had that too, such as these old stacked railroad spikes.

Or this thingamajig.  I think that is it’s official name.

Or this other whatchamacallit.

She ended up using all of them.  Always check your stash, and until next time, stay inspired.

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