Create A Gorgeous Bookend On A Budget With This Dollar Tree DIY

Bookends can be a great solution for keeping your collection of books neat and tidy, particularly if you have a lot of reading material and limited space. Store-bought bookends can be expensive, especially if you have a wall of home library shelves. TikTok user @taylorpoole122 has the perfect solution for stylish custom bookends that are easy to assemble and whole materials are readily available at the Dollar Tree. Using a metal napkin holder and some twine or yarn, you create an adorable arched set of bookends for under $5. 

The process for creating the bookends is simple. Wrap the metal sides of the napkin holder with the twine, covering the structure and creating a more decorative look. Tie the twine around the napkin holder at the ends to secure, and add a dab of glue to prevent them from coming loose. Use the holders to display books with front-facing covers, or use them to shore up a leaning stack of books with spines facing out. With a budget-friendly cost, you can make as many as you need for your shelves.

Because you can customize them, these bookends are a perfect fit for various color schemes and design aesthetics, with the jute twine-covered bookends fitting in perfectly in boho, cottage, and farmhouse spaces. For a sleeker look, try black or white yarn, or add a pop of color and a retro look that brings to mind vintage needlework and macrame. Use different shades of yarn for an ombre effect along the arch, rainbow yarn for a colorful look, or add fun accents like beads of buttons. Add some rope (also from the Dollar Tree) for a nautical or coastal cottage feel. 

While they are useful on a well-decorated bookshelf, you can also use them on a coffee table to hold a selection of photo books or on a kitchen counter harboring a stash of cookbooks. Away from the books, use them to stylishly hold mail on an entryway table or store file folders on a desk. They are also perfect for displaying 12 x 12 vinyl albums upright next to a record player.