DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends

As part of my home office makeover, I was looking for a unique way to DIY bookends, and I found just what I was looking for in these simple concrete book stoppers. Today, I’m sharing the full tutorial, so that you can make your own set of DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends!

How to Make DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends

I’ve had a few DIY fails lately, so I was super excited when this DIY not only went according to plan but turned out beautifully!

These bookends are easy to create, and they make beautiful, endlessly customizable shelf décor. Plus they’re heavy, so they’re the perfect way to hold my books upright.

Let’s jump into the tutorial for these DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends!

Supplies

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. As always, my favorable opinion of fun DIY supplies is 100% my own. I only recommend products that I use and love.

This project requires a few supplies that you’ll want to round up:

• Concrete Test Cylinders

***I got these from my husband who works for a ready mixed concrete company. If you want to use these same cylinders, try calling one of your local ready mixed concrete companies to see if they’d be willing to provide you with or allow you to purchase several of their used test cylinders (I don’t know what they’ll charge).

***Another option is to create your own concrete bookends by using Quickcrete and a form (milk cartons, juice concentrate cylinders, etc). There are more ideas and additional resources in this article: These 10 Everyday Items Create Unbelievable Concrete Designs on bobvila.com.

• Paint in your choice of color/s (I used leftover interior satin in Extra White)
• Paint Brushes
• Painter’s Tape
• Copper Simple Leaf
• Metal Leaf Adhesive
• Small Brush for Adhesive Application
• Clean Paint Brush for Metal Leaf Removal
• Felt
• Craft Glue
• Clear Acrylic Sealer

Once you’ve sourced or created your bookends and rounded up your supplies, you’re ready to get started creating these DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends!

How to Make DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends

I’m so excited about how these bookends turned out, and I thoroughly enjoyed the metal leafing process (it was so easy). I told my husband and kids to be prepared for me to metal leaf all the things! 😉

Let’s go over the steps for this simple DIY.

Step #1

Wipe down your bookends to remove any loose gravel, concrete, and dirt.

Step #2

Decide on the colorblock designs you want to use.

I’m way late to the colorblocking rage. But after completing this project, I’m at the front of the the colorblocking party bus!

I had a mental image of the designs I wanted to create, but to concrete my vision (see what I did there 😉 ), I did a little Pinterest surfing.

Step #3

Tape your bookends prior to painting.

If you’re using multiple paint colors, choose which one to start with and tape accordingly.

Step #4

Paint your bookends and remove the tape immediately after painting.

If you wait until your paint dries before removing your tape, you run the risk of pulling the paint up with the tape.

***If you’re using multiple paint colors or creating a design that requires multiple taping steps, be extra careful when applying and removing tape from your painted surface. Don’t press your tape down too tightly except at the paint/tape seam. Otherwise, you run the risk of removing dry paint with your tape.

Allow your paint to dry completely.

Step #5

Following the instructions on your product, apply the metal leaf adhesive to your bookends.

I free-handed the adhesive application on two of my bookends, and taped off one of the designs. Go with the approach you prefer!

Step #6

Apply your metal leaf.

Start at one end of your design and apply slowly from one side to the other, smoothing out any air pockets as you work.

Step #7

Remove the excess metal leaf.

Use a clean brush to gently knock off any small bits of metal leaf that aren’t adhered to the bookends.

Step #8

Following the directions on the product, spray your painted and metal leafed bookends with 2 coats of acrylic sealer.

Allow the first coat to dry thoroughly before applying the second coat.

Step #9

Once your acrylic sealer is dry, create felt bases for your bookends. This will protect your bookshelf from getting scuffed by the bookends.

Lay a piece of felt on your work surface and place your bookend on top of it.

Trace around the footprint of your bookend, then cut the felt INSIDE your tracing so the felt doesn’t stick out from under your bookend (you may still need to trim around the base of your bookend).

Step #10

Using craft glue, attach your felt to the bottom of your bookend.

Keep your glue about a 1/4 inch from the edge of the felt to avoid overflow and to give yourself a little space to trim, if necessary.

Step #11

Place your stunning bookends on your shelves and marvel at your genius and artistic talent! 🙂

A Project Caveat

If you use concrete test cylinders for this project, they’ll have rough, exposed patches (from where they were broken during the testing process).

Even with adding a couple of coats of sealer, these will “shed” bits of concrete. To avoid this as much as possible, I chose to use my bookends in locations where they wouldn’t get jostled or moved frequently. I still have a little clean up around my bookends when I dust each week, but it’s minimal and the acrylic sealer helps a ton.

Go a different route with this project if this “shedding” will be a problem for you!

How to Make DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends

And that concludes the DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends tutorial!

These bookends are easy to create, and they make beautifully unique shelf décor. Plus, the decorating options are limited only by your imagination and style aesthetic!

If you create your own bookends with this tutorial, please share a picture on the Calyx and Corolla Facebook Page. Or share on Instagram and tag me (@calyxandcorolla)!

Related Posts

If you enjoyed today’s post, be sure to check out the other posts in my home office makeover series:

• How to Plan a Home Improvement Project & My Home Office Makeover Plan
• 12+ Ways to Control Home Office Cord Clutter
• Beautifully Organized Offices
• Best Affordable Desks with Added Storage
• An Easy and Affordable Solution to Office Cord Clutter
• DIY Concrete Colorblock Bookends

Have you completed any office DIYs lately? I’m always looking for a good home office DIY, so I’d love for you to share your experiences in the comments section below!

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