Handcrafted Wooden L-Shaped Bookends (Pair)
This morning, I decided to see what I could create using leftover scrap wood from my recent book-themed side table project. Armed with a few remaining pieces of 2×8, I wanted to craft something to match the library theme.
I didn’t have a solid plan initially, so I started by measuring several of my wife’s books to find the perfect median size. I settled on roughly 7.25″W x 9″H x 1.5″D for the vertical bookends, and 6.74″W x 4″D x 1.5″H for the base pieces.
For the design, I routed two sides of each piece to mimic the look of book pages—just like I did on the side table. By leaving the bottom of the vertical piece and the inner side of the horizontal piece flat, I created the perfect seamless attachment point and a sturdy base!
To join the two pieces, I opted for hidden fasteners using my Kreg jig. I also decided to fully hide them using Kreg pocket hole plugs.
Next up was the final sanding and prep work. I progressed through 80, 120, and 220-grit sandpaper to get the wood super smooth. To match the side table, I finished the bookends with the same Minwax oil-based interior stain in Dark Walnut. I applied the semi-transparent finish using a disposable foam brush and wiped away the excess with a clean rag to let the natural grain pop!
For the final finish, I used Minwax Fast-drying Polyeurethane Clear Satin Oil-based Interior Polyeurethane. I opted for 4 coats, lightly sanding between coats with 220 grit sandpaper.
This quick little scrap-wood project turned out great! The best part about these bookends is their versatility—you can display them with the routed “pages” facing forward or flipped to the back, depending on your style. Honestly, the design and finish possibilities are endless. You could easily knock out a whole stack of these in half a day using whatever scraps you have lying around.
👇 What do you think? Would you display these with the pages facing forward or backward? Let me know in the comments!
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