Delight Your Inner Bookworm With 15 DIY Bookends (2024)

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Striped Bookends

A block of spare wood, cut diagonally into two triangles, is the perfect base for a modern set of bookends. Use masking tape to help create perfectly painted stripes, and tailor the colors to your interior for a fully coordinated bookshelf.

Striped Bookends from Pretty Providence

02 of 15

Dinosaur Bookends

Capture a bit of nostalgia by incorporating kids’ toys into your DIYs. All it takes is a couple of fierce dinosaur action figures spray painted and glued to blocks to add an unexpected sense of whimsy to your bookcase. These also work perfectly in a nursery, kid's room, or playroom.

Dinosaur Bookends from Julie Measures

03 of 15

Telephone Bookends

Scour your local thrift or vintage shop for landline telephones (pastel colors are a plus), then snip the cords off and attach to bits of scrap metal to secure as bookends. No need to find a matching set, by the way, this pair looks best a little less planned and perfect.See the full tutorial on A Beautiful Mess to make your own.

Telephone Bookends from A Beautiful Mess

04 of 15

Galaxy-Inspired Bookends

Transform a pair of ordinary rocks into galaxy-inspired asteroids. This simple idea will add a sense of wonder and a splash of color to your bookcase. The wonderful thing about this project is it’s super easy to repaint them or make a new set each time you want a fresh look. Go out of this world to create and style your starry bookends.

Clear Vase Bookends from The Spruce

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Triangle Bookends

Reuse your empty cardboard shipping packages to make pyramid-shaped bookends a la Almost Makes Perfect. A quick coat of metallic spray paint gives your cardboard figures a high-end look. Don’t hesitate to embellish with ribbon trim or stick-on crystals—this craft is perfect for adding your own personalization.

Triangle Bookends from Almost Makes Perfect

06 of 15

A to Z Bookends

Styrofoam and papier-mâché, when coated in textured paint, can mimic the look of rough concrete, as is done here with these clever A to Z bookends. A bright painted stripe finishes the modern look of theses alphabetical pieces. Swap the A and Z for your own initials for a more customized piece.

A to Z Bookends from DIY Candy

07 of 15

Coral Bookends

Fish tank accessories get promoted to the bookcase with this simple tutorial. Once everything is coated in white paint, these faux coral bookends look simple and modern, and a strong adhesive is all the hardware needed—no power tools required. This project is a great option for kids too, so don't hesitate to get them involved in the making here. See Make Life Lovely for detailed instructions.

Coral Bookends from Make Life Lovely

08 of 15

Faux Ceramic Animal Bookends

Repurpose old toys to capture that luxury ceramic look popular at your favorite high-end home stores. Coat animal figurines in white paint, and adhere to scrap wood for a set of quick and simple homemade bookends. Create a whole set with different animals for a cohesive, whimsically-styled library.

Faux Ceramic Animal Bookends from Lovely Indeed

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09 of 15

Quotation Mark Bookends

Get grammatical with your home library with these fun quotation mark bookends. This tutorial uses plaster, but you can substitute wood or clay easily if those media are more your forte. Paint them to match your decor, or leave them as-is for a minimalist aesthetic.

Quotation Mark Bookends from A Beautiful Mess

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Floral Bicycle Bookends

Restyle a tired pair of bookends using a festive, patterned paper, and craft adhesive. Mix and match a few colors and styles to add a fanciful touch to your library, and don’t skip the distressed painted details either. Learn on Modge Podge Rocks how all the different elements of this craft bring it together into one eye-catching piece of art.

Floral Bicycle Bookends from Modge Podge Rocks

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Pineapple Bookends

Foodies now have a perfect option for keeping their cookbooks organized. All it takes to whip up these pineapples is a coat of metallic spray paint. You'll be left with bookends that resemble the sought-after, high-end vibe most folks are looking for. These fun DIYs look amazing on an open kitchen shelf and also make for great housewarming gifts—so create a few sets at once!

Pineapple Bookends from DIY Candy

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Honey Bear Bookends

Hang on to your empty honey containers (especially those adorable bear-shaped ones) for a clever craft supply. Paint each bear monochromatically for a clean, sleek effect.

Pro tip: adhere these light plastic containers to a bit of scrap metal or a wooden block for a sturdier set of bookends. No scrap material? Fill them with rice to keep them standing tall.

Honey Bear Bookends from Pretty Providence

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Splatter Painted Concrete Bookends

Using concrete for a small, indoor project is a great way to practice working with this (sometimes tricky) media. Work on creating these half-spheres, then paint and decorate to your liking. They’re perfect as a set of coordinated bookends, but also work wonderfully as paperweights and desk accessories.

Splatter Painted Concrete Bookends from A Beautiful Mess

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Wooden Bookends

Repurpose old shelving into a set of chic, sturdy bookends. This is a great project for beginning makers. It doesn’t require much hardware and is fully customizable to your aesthetic. The Crafted Maker will show you how to design these elegant and minimal bookends.

Wooden Bookends from The Crafted Maker

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Rolling Pin Bookends

These lovely rolling pin bookends are another great option for your kitchen counter. They'll effortlessly breathe a little life into a tired set of cookbooks and recipe card stacks. You will need to use a few power tools here, so leave this tutorial from Modge Podge Rocks to more experienced crafters.

Rolling Pin Bookends from Modge Podge Rocks