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Letter Bookends, Part 2 Finish up your literary bookends. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-205

In Part 1 of this two-part B. Original project, Michele Beschen showed how to make chunky decorative letters from plain plywood. Now, in Part 2, you'll learn how to build weighted bases for the letters and finish the project with your own creative embellishments.

Scroll down for the rest of the how-to.

Turn these rough letters...

Into swanky bookends!

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Letter Bookends, Part 2

Materials:

bookend letters from Part 1
power sanders or sandpaper
3/4" plywood
saw
wood glue
hammer and nails or power nailer
screws
drill with drill and screw bits
stain and/or paint
polyurethane sealer
mortar
plastic container for mixing mortar
water
cork or felt
embellishments for bookends

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• Sand your letters. An oscillating sander and a bench sander will make quick work of this, but you also can use sandpaper. Even if you use a power sander, you'll need to sand by hand to get all the nooks and crannies.

  Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection when using power sanders or any power tool.

• If your bookends don't need to be very heavy—if they're for decorative use only, not holding big books—you can build the base out of plain 3/4" plywood. Determine the size and shape of the base and cut four pieces of 3/4" plywood to size. As with the wood for the letters, glue these pieces together to give two sets of double-thick wood blocks.

• For bookends that will hold up heavier books, add some mortar to the bases for more weight and stability. To do this, cut the first piece of plywood to the normal base size. Measure this piece and cut four small pieces of plywood that will fit flush around the outside edges of the base, creating an inset in the middle (figure A). Glue and nail these pieces to build the inset, and allow the glue to dry.

• Once the glue is dry, sand the outside of the base.

• Lay the base on a flat work surface and position the letter as desired. You will attach the letter by driving screws up into the letter from the bottom of the base; mark on the top of the base where the holes will need to go (figure B).

• If you plan to finish the letter and base with different finishes or in different colors, do so now. If you plan to use the same finish or color for both parts, you can wait until after the letter is attached.

• Drill holes at the places marked. Flip the base over to start the screws, then secure the letter to the base (figure C).

• Paint the inside of the inset on the bottom of the base with latex primer. This will help the mortar stick to the plywood. Wait until the primer dries clear before moving to the next step.

• Mix a small amount of mortar until it is the consistency of cookie dough. Apply the mortar using a putty knife and let dry overnight (figure D).

• For a smooth finish on the bottom of the base, simply glue on a piece of felt or cork.

• Now, you're ready to embellish the bookends with your own creative touches. Add stain, paint or any finishing touches you like. Along with her other embellishments, Michele Beschen used a woodburner to etch literary quotes into the bookends.

Add some tiny models of books...

Or create a theme for your bookends.