How to Make Bookends With Bricks

A bare brick can scratch of damage the books and bookshelf, which can be avoided by wrapping it.

Bookends are used to support or buttress a row of books, helping them to stay vertical on a shelf and to prevent them falling off the end. Aside from their practical purpose, bookends also have an ornamental value, and can be an important part of home decor. Ordinary house bricks easily provide the weight and stability to work as a bookend, and can also be adorned to satisfy any decorative requirements your bookshelf might demand.

Things You'll Need

• Decorative paper wrapping or fabric
• 2 yards of ribbon
• Adhesive tape

Instructions

1. Acquire two pieces of wrapping paper or fabric --- approximately 20 inches square --- that appeal to your home decor tastes.

2. Place a brick in the center of one of the pieces of covering and fold the material around it.

3. Tie the material in place using the ribbon or stick it down using adhesive tape, depending on the type of covering used.

4. Repeat with the other brick and piece of wrapping, and place the bricks at each end of the books on the shelf.

Tips & Warnings

• For rows of heavier books, two bricks can be used at each end for increased stability.

• By covering with plain paper, you can then paint the bookend.

• Patterns first can be printed onto the paper from a computer, then wrapped around the brick.

References

• Evil Mad Scientist: Bookends for physics geeks
• Craft Town: Brick Bookends