Introduction: DIY Gold Bunny Bookends

By Crafted Sophistication
About: My name is Jessie and my motto is: "Creating the Good Life from Everyday Inspirations"

Make these simple bookends for your mother or friend! Only an hour to make and a total of $10 for materials.

Step 1: Materials

  • 2 animal figurines (mine are porcelain with access into the internal cavity through the bottom)
  • gold paint & brush
  • rice or beans or lentils (to weigh down the porcelain figures)
  • funnel
  • glue gun
  • Optional (for the bottom of the bookends): thin felt, chalk, & scissors

Step 2: Fill Your Bunny (or Animal) Figurines

Unless your animal figurines have some weight to them, you will need to fill them with weights. I used rice, but you can use beans, lentils or any other materials small enough to fill the cavity of the figurine. Using a funnel (I made a cone out of printing paper and taped), pour the rice, beans or lentils, through the opening and into the cavity of the figurine. I placed the figurine upside down in a small bowl to hold it while I poured. Jiggle the figurine around to make sure the rice, beans or lentils fully pack its cavity. Then, using a glue gun, plug the opening with glue. Repeat with the second figurine.

Step 3: Time to Paint Your Bookends!

Now you are ready to paint! My preference is gold spray paint, but I’m trying to avoid spray paints during my pregnancy . So instead, I used gold craft paint for this project. The upside of applying paint with a brush is that it creates further texture on the bookends.

Step 4: Apply a 2nd Coat of Paint to Finish

Wait about 15 minutes before applying the second layer of paint. It may take up to a few days for the paint to fully cure.

Step 5: Finish With a Felt-covered Bottom

Optional: You can finish the bookends by adhering a thin piece of felt to the bottoms. Trace the bottoms of each bookend onto the felt using a piece of chalk and then cut to size and shape. Glue the pieces of felt onto the bottoms of the bookends using white glue. I decided not take this extra step as the felt I had planned on using was waaaay too thick and actually lifted the bookend off the surface.

Step 6: Put Them to Good Use!