If you’re looking for a straightforward woodworking project, Warren Nash has created an easy-to-follow guide for making DIY wooden bookends. Using minimal materials, including wood, cardboard, glue, and screws, these bookends are a great way to utilize scrap wood or even pallet wood.
Materials and Tools Needed:
- Plank wood (pallet wood also works)
- PVA or wood glue
- Screws
- Cardboard
- Hand saw or mitre saw
- Mitre block (if using a hand saw)
- Drill and drill bits
- Screwdriver
- Pencil and measuring tape
Step 1: Prepare the Wood
Start by taking your scrap piece of wood. Warren uses a piece that’s 4 inches wide and three-quarters of an inch deep. Mark four points along the piece of wood at equal distances apart. The distance between the points should represent the height you want your bookends to be.
Step 2: Cut the Wood
Using a mitre saw or a hand saw, cut along these lines to create four equal-length pieces of wood. Next, create the 45-degree angle pieces that will support your bookends. Adjust your mitre saw to a 45-degree angle or use a mitre block with your hand saw. Cut off a triangle section from the end of a spare piece of wood.
Step 3: Create the Triangular Pieces
Readjust your mitre saw back to a 90-degree angle and cut off the angled edge left on your spare piece of wood. You should now have two triangular pieces of wood that are similar in size.
Step 4: Assemble the Bookends
Now it’s time to attach all your pieces together. First, take two straight-cut wood pieces and secure them in place. Use a drill to create two pilot holes for attaching these pieces with screws. To ensure the screws sit flush, use a countersink on the pilot holes.
Step 5: Attach the Triangular Supports
Next, take one of the triangular pieces of wood and place it onto the bookend. Mark where you can safely insert screws to attach the triangular piece to the sides of the bookend. Drill pilot holes at these points, then line up the triangular piece and drill through the pilot holes into the triangular section.
Step 6: Repeat for the Second Bookend
Once you’ve completed one bookend, repeat the same steps for the second one using the remaining pieces of wood. You may want to adjust the size of your bookends if they are too long.
Step 7: Sand and Finish
Time to give your bookends some love! Use fine sandpaper to smooth out all edges. You can also paint them if you desire. Finally, to prevent your bookends from falling over under the weight of your books, glue them onto a piece of cardboard that is a similar length.
Step 8: Let it Dry
Leave the glue to dry, and there you have it! Your set of bookends is complete, offering a perfect solution to keep your books neat and tidy.