how to make bookends with dollar tree supplies

Have you seen the pretty metallic pumpkins and gourds currently at the Dollar Tree? I cannot believe they are only $1.25! They have gold, silver and a copper shade, and they look much higher-end than Dollar Tree. I grabbed a few and decided to get crafty, and I think you are going to love it! Follow along as I show you how to make DIY fall bookends using supplies from the Dollar Tree.

For this project, I used the following supplies:

• (4) 5″x7″ wooden blocks
• (2) metallic pumpkins or gourds
• E6000 glue
• Waverly chalk paint in Plaster
• Paintbrush – you can find my line of paintbrushes here
• Sanding block

First, I had to determine how to arrange the wood pieces, whether I wanted them to meet up on the short side or the long side. Ultimately, I decided on the long side so they would be shorter in height. I removed the stickers from the back of the wood pieces before applying any glue.

Next, I applied the E6000 glue to the 7″ edge of one block. I made sure to apply enough but not too much that it oozed out and did not seal well. Then, I pressed the edge down to meet the long side of the other wood block. I repeated this process with the other two boards.

The glue will take about 24 hours to fully cure and dry, so I left them to dry overnight.

The next day, I applied two coats of chalk paint to all sides and surfaces of each bookend. It had not been a full 24 hours, but I thought it was safe to go ahead and carefully paint them. I used the Waverly brand chalk paint in the color Plaster. This is a great soft white color, and I think the metallic pumpkins will really pop on this color!

After the paint had dried completely, I used a sanding block to lightly distress the edges. I was careful to not apply too much pressure, since I was still within the 24 hour window of the glue fully curing. I’m a bit impatient when it comes to crafting, but I probably should have just waited the recommended time! Ha!

Finally, I applied E6000 glue to the bases of the pumpkins and pressed them down in the center of the bookends. Now, it was time to wait…again! But I know the end result will be worth the wait! I let them set again overnight for the glue to cure. 

I absolutely love the look of the bookends! I’m glad I went with different colors and shapes for the pumpkins, because it is such a fun contrast! 

You can’t tell me these do not look more than 4 DOLLARS!!!! Winner Winner!!

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Last Updated on September 26, 2023