How to Hold Books Up on a Bookcase

Add visual interest to your bookshelves by using trinkets as bookends.

When arranging your collection of books in a bookcase, it is likely that the shelves may not end up filled to capacity. When this happens, it becomes necessary to find a way to hold books upright so that they don’t fall down. The most common way of doing this is by using bookends, but bookends cost money and often are not very interesting to look at. Fortunately, there are creative ways to hold your books upright by using other books or basic items that you will find around your home.

Instructions

1. Tilt two to three books at no more than a 45-degree angle at the end of a row. This method works well on a short row of lightweight books. The tilted books will lean against the upright books to hold them in place.

2. Alternate upright books with a small stack of books lying horizontally on the shelf. The horizontal stack will act as a bookend in addition to adding visual interest to the display. Ideally, the stacked books should be books that are read rarely so that you don’t have to disassemble the stack to remove them frequently.

3. Place accessories throughout the bookshelves. Items, such as vases, pottery and decorative boxes or baskets, can be placed between books to hold them up and break up the monotony of a long row of vertically placed books.

References

• ShelterStyle; Beautiful Bookshelves—The Right Arrangement Makes All the Difference; Joetta Moulden
• Overstock: Guides—How to Arrange a Bookcase