How to Make Your Own Wooden Bookends
Dig through your pile of wood scraps or visit a local salvage warehouse for the inexpensive ingredients to make shabby chic, finial wooden bookends. These bookends are perfect for holding a few cookbooks on your kitchen counter, or a trilogy by your favorite author on your nightstand. They are simple to make, and you can get the project done in a few hours. Make a pair for yourself, or make several to have on hand for last minute gifts for family and friends.
Things You'll Need
- 4-by-4 wood post, scrap
- Measuring tape
- Miter saw
- 2 salvaged wooden spindle finials
- Drill and 1/4-inch drill bit
- Masking tape
- 1/4-inch diameter dowel
- Jigsaw
- Wood glue
- White acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Sandpaper
Instructions
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1
Measure and cut two scrap pieces of 4-by-4 post, two inches long, using a miter saw.
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2
Measure and cut off the top of two spindle finials, approximately four inches long using a miter saw or jigsaw. The exact measurement will depend on the finials you are using. You want them to be at least four inches long, but cut at the crease of a decorative seam.
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3
Stand one cut 4-by-4 post on a cut end. Wrap a piece of masking tape around a 1/4-inch drill bit, one inch from the bit's end. Place the bit on the top center of the standing 4-by-4. Drill straight down until the masking tape touches the top of the 4-by-4. Repeat with the other 4-by-4.
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4
Place the bit at the bottom center of a cut finial. Drill straight up into the finial until the masking tape touches the finial bottom. Repeat with the other finial.
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5
Measure and cut two pieces of 1/4-inch diameter dowel, two inches long, using a jigsaw. Apply wood glue to one end of a two-inch dowel and insert it into the top of the 4-by-4. Apply glue to the other end of the same dowel and place the finial on top, pushing down until the finial is flush with the 4-by-4. Repeat with the other 4-by-4 and finial. Allow the glue to dry.
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6
Paint the entire surface of each wooden bookend, using white acrylic paint. Apply a second coat. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly. Sand the edges of the 4-by-4 and the angles of the finial to remove some of the paint and create a shabby chic look.
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Tips & Warnings
Salvaged finials can also be taken from chair backs and mirror frames.
Shabby chic is an imperfect decorating style. If your finials do not match, they will still work fine.
