Welcome to another series of the Thrift Store Challenge! You know, it’s a challenge we make each month where a group of bloggers turns thrift store, flea market or second-hand finds into home decor pieces. Maybe you remember last month challenge, I found a footboard and turned it into a coat rack. Be prepared to learn how to make stylish bookends for less than $5 because I promise it’s super easy.
The Rules:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There’s no monthly theme.
- There’s no budget to stick to.
Meet the Hosts
Amanda | Domestically Creative Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled Pili | Sweet Things Debra | Shoppe No. 5
Chelc | Inside the Fox Den Jeannee | Centsably Creative Michelle | Michelle James Designs
Molly | Just a Little Creativity Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela
Marie | DIY Adulation Denise | My Thrifty House Lindsay | Crazy Organized
Florence | Vintage Southern Picks Shirley | Intelligent Domestications
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
If you follow my blog then you will know we moved four months ago, and that meant chaos! Boxes everywhere, stuff everywhere, you can’t find what you are looking for but keep finding stuff you don’t need in that moment.
One thing we love to do is to read books, and our daughters really enjoy when they go to bed that mommy or daddy read them something. But hey, you can read something if you can FIND something to read, right?
Before we moved we planned to make a family room on the third floor, but being an old house as it is it needed some professional job done before we could add more weight to the floor… so we moved to plan B, make a kind of built-in bookcase in the living room. I promise pictures and tutorial but please be patient, there’s too much on my plate right now!
Back to the books, we took them out of the boxes and placed them in their new place. Everyone was happy to have them at easy reach, but there was something missing, a bit of styling the bookcases. Here it comes the fun part that involved a trip to the thrift store to see if I could get something cool, and I found some wooden letters. They weren’t too big and there were only a few of them, so I chose letter A and Z.
How to make stylish bookends for less than $5
I still had a piece of scrap wood that used to belong to the table my husband brought and used to make Christmas signs, so I measured it and cut 4 pieces.
I filled some holes and sanded the edges, just ready to glue. No nailing or anything, just wood glue and let them dry.
Then I used some homemade chalk paint to paint them white. Not difficult, right? The last thing was gluing the letters to the wood and my stylish bookends were done!
They hold now some of our books plus they look great on the bookcase.
Here’s a close-up, they are so smooth.
Also you can upcycle tins into vases, like I did with this one.
I am in love with my bookends and nothing can beat that price.
I also did the big nautical knot with a piece of rope I found in a forest (after I washed it, of course 😉 ) I will be sharing the tutorial soon, not difficult and it looks so cool. It can be used as a doorstop too because it is heavy.
The cute bunny with the pompom tail is a craft I did with my daughters.
So these are my stylish bookends for less than $5, what do you think?
Remember to Pin It if you like it and want to give it a try, sharing is caring!
And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!
Love the bookends! I need a bookend for my son’s disastrous bookshelf. Too many superhero books!! Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
Thank you Victoria! Keeping a bookshelf tidy can’t be solved so easily, I know too!
I need some bookends! This is a great idea Pili and of course they turned out fantastic!
Thanks Amanda! The originals I saw in the shop were too expensive for my pocket so I decided to make my own
I can never find stylish book ends that I actually like! I never thought to make my own! What a good idea!
All it took was need and a bit of inspiration! These look great Pili! Good luck on finding everything after your move!
This is such a great idea, Pili – love your VERY stylish bookends. Pinned
Love this! Nice thrift find for sure and your upcyle is really nice. I like that nautical knot you made too! Your shelves are styled so pretty.
These are so cool, I love how they look in your bookcase 🙂
Thanks so much Angela!
This is a great project. I really need some book ends. I love the A and the Z! Perfection.
This is a fantastic upcycle. I love how you were able to find A to Z.
The bookends are such a neat idea Pili and they look real easy to make too. Nothing better than a quick project that immediately adds such a lovely touch to your decor
These are so nice Pili, I have seen the letters and liked them a lot, but couldn´t think of anything to do with them. Your idea is great!
Beautifully done Pili and they look so professional, you’d never know they cost only five dollars.
Pili, your bookends are awesome!!! I love the A and Z that you chose and to upcycle the table legs was a great idea!! They look great on your bookcase!!
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