17 Creative Ways To Repurpose Bookends In Your Home And Garden

Bookends have a number of great traditional uses, including holding up stacks of books, magazines, and other reading material on shelves to keep them from falling over. They are also often highly decorative objects, with designs varying from traditional sculptural bookends to sleek, nearly invisible metal ones that don't take up any additional space but hold their contents securely. While bookshelves might be the most obvious space to employ bookends, there are actually a number of other great uses in the home for them, from pure decoration to highly functional means of storage. Need a way to hold plates or cloth napkins at your next dinner?  A way to keep doors from closing? An easy holder for necklaces and bracelets? Bookends can be repurposed for these uses and many more.

You'll often find bookends in thrift shops, antique stores, or estate sales, sometimes as a set and more often alone. Even single bookends can be great for many of these projects. Look for bookends that have a cool design that fits your aesthetic, are visually interesting, or are made of weighty materials like brass, marble, or wood. Even basic metal industrial-looking bookends can be made to serve a number of great purposes in your home. 

You can turn simple utilitarian metal bookends into cool floating bookshelves that mount directly to the wall. Use drywall screws to fasten the bottom of the bookends firm into the wall studs, then slide a book onto the shelf it creates to make the bottom of the mounted stack. Depending on how thick the metal is and how hefty the books, you can usually stack 2-3 more titles on top of the first. These make a great alternative to larger shelves in a small space or if you want to use book spines as wall décor .

Heavy bookends in brass or marble make great door stops that are as stylish as they are useful. This is a particularly useful idea for repurposing lone or mismatched bookends. The flat backs that are meant for holding books slide easily up against the door to keep it in place. They are often less bulky and protruding than other more sculptural door stoppers that can sometimes be tripping hazards in narrower doorways. Look for bookends in heavier materials like brass, stainless steel, marble, and granite, which will stand up to heavier doors.

A stack of cutting boards can be both stylish and functional when placed on a kitchen counter. Not only are they easy to grab, but, when leaning against a wall, can add additional rustic charm and texture. The boards can also block unsightly things like unused switches and electrical outlets. To keep the boards from falling over, use a cute book end to secure them in place and upright. For tighter spaces, just use a simple metal flat bookend, or if you have more room, get a little more decorative and three-dimensional in your selection. 

Rather than stacking your guest towels on a bathroom vanity, try using two book ends to hold towels upright between them. Not only does this make your bathroom look like a high-end hotel, but it makes the stack less likely to fall over or look messy after someone grabs one. It can also be great for storing larger towels attractively on a shelf where they are easy to reach for. You can also show off coordinated and decorative towels to their best advantage instead of on a messy shelf or in a drawer. 

Simple bookends make great additions to any closet or wardrobe, where they can be repurposed to organize t-shirts, jeans, leggings, or sweaters. Use them to keep a stack of items neatly folded and upright, or place them singly between stacks on a closet shelf to help keep things neat. You can even fit smaller bookends inside drawers to partition off different stacks of items. Folding items upright makes everything easier to see versus rummaging through horizontal stacks. You can also use them out in the open, where pretty bookends look great holding pretty tees or baby clothes. 

Rather than tossing unread mail in a pile on your table or desk, stash them between two stylish bookends instead. This will keep even the smallest mail from getting displaced and keep things organized until you can sort through it all. You can also use two bookends on a desk to keep important papers where you can see them and find them easier. While you can buy dedicated mail sorters or use napkin holders for similar results, only the book ends are adjustable as the stack grows or shrinks to keep everything upright.

Clear kitchen clutter by employing bookends in the kitchen. Use them to keep a stack of linen napkins upright on a counter or table. Not only does this allow them to be part of your décor, but it means they are easy to grab when you are entertaining. You can also use them as a way to keep a stack of paper napkins neat and tidy if you don't have a napkin holder. Unlike a napkin holder, you can adjust the bookends closer together as the napkins are used. 

Heavy and larger bookends make a great way to help store and display vinyl record albums. Place them on either side of a stack similar to how you would for books, or turn them toward the front, where low bookends will allow you to see and appreciate the cover art. Using a pair of thrifted book ends can be much less expensive than purchasing holders designed specifically for vinyl, especially if you have a larger collection and want to create more than one stack. You can also opt for thin library metal ones to keep albums from falling over on shelves.

A great alternative to other kinds of bland or boring desktop file holders is to use a pair of cute bookends instead. Not only can they be a part of your desk décor, they can be adjusted to hold up stacks of any size to keep folders, binders, and notebooks straight and upright to help organize your desk. They also make a great In/Out organizer that is vertical rather than horizontal. For tighter spaces, choose simple slender metal bookends, or opt for more decorative and sculptural models in brass, wood, or marble if you have the space. 

Bookends can be a great solution if you are looking for a central place to easily store tablets, laptops, or other electronics and keep them neatly upright and safe from damage. You can even create a convenient charging station and way to organize cords that is much less expensive than purchasing a dedicated docking station on your counter or desk. Just use command hooks to wrap cords on the bookends. Or create a simple Ipad or phone easel from a lightweight metal bookend by bending it into shape and slipping the tab through to serve as a ledge. 

Metal book ends with beautiful cutouts can be repurposed into simple pillar candle holders. Just place the candle on the flat portion and allow the light to shine through. Or fasten two bookends together with hot glue for a two-sided lantern-style holder. Place it on a table or hang it from the wall to create a stylish sconce. If you prefer to go flameless, use battery operated pillars or votives, or glue an LED puck top to the bottom of the bookends. Use screws, adhesive strips, or finishing nails to attach it to the wall. 

On their own, sculptural bookends can be especially pretty elements to add to your space. Brass animals and marble decorative busts can add a sense of texture and dimension to your décor. This is a great use for single bookends missing their mate. They look especially stylish on a mantle, shelf, or as part of a centerpiece. Employ them alone or on top of a stack of books to add important visual height. You can even turn damaged or colorful bookends into chic décor items by painting them with gold paint or a rich matte black. 

Add two bookends as a way to hold your purses and clutches upright and well-organized on a wardrobe shelf or on top of your dresser. The bookends, since they are adjustable, will keep the clutches neat even when you remove one, making it much easier to find things. They also allow you to store accessories of different sizes altogether in one set of bookends without the smaller pieces getting lost or buried. It's a fun chance to make your clutches and purses part of your décor if you place them out in the open. 

Sculptural bookends can easily be repurposed into a cute jewelry holder for the top of your dresser or vanity. Look for bookends with a lot of detail, like busts, that lend themselves to draping necklaces or bracelets around the neck or limbs. This is a great opportunity to use a single bookend from a missing or broken pair. Collect several cute ones and set up a tableau of bookends and small pretty dishes for a great way to stylishly store and display your bits and baubles out in the open where you can see and enjoy them.

For your next gathering, use some simple metal bookends to stash paper or glass plates upright. They are much easier to remove from the stack and remain free from dust or dirt, making it a great idea for outdoor celebrations and dining. Place the bookends together and use magnets or hot glue to keep firmly them together. You can even decorate basic bookends with paint, paper, or glued on floral accents to make them a pretty addition to your tablescape. Or use a set of heavier bookends on your counter to store plates and free up valuable cabinet space.

Bookends can also function as easy ways to hold up artwork if you do not have an easel. Use two solid bookends to prop up a piece of art on a shelf or table. Or utilize flat book ends backwards as a brace to lean artwork against. This also works for other items you may want to display, such as art books, vinyl records, or photo albums. Small book ends also make great easels for chalkboard menus or signage on a buffet table. Use a strip of hot glue to create an edge to prevent slipping. 

Use hot glue to place two bookends together and hang them on the wall for a great wall organizer that works for everything from mail and file folders to magazines and record albums. Just screw or nail the backside into the wall and slide your contents between the bookends. These are great racks for small spaces since they do not extend too far out from the wall and offer easy and compact storage. You can also add them to hold folded towels on a bathroom wall or dishtowels in the kitchen.