These DIY bookends are a great rainy afternoon project, ideal for using up a fat quarter pack or some of your beloved leftover scraps. Leah Farquharson will show you how to make these super-simple bookends that you can make for yourself or give to a book-loving friend!
Use the same type of fabric in different colours or prints for a smooth finish. If you’re mixing different prints, choose ones in the same palette for a coherent look. All seams are stitched using an 0.5cm (¼”) allowance.
If you’re new to sewing then make sure you head to our beginners guide to sewing and our how to use a sewing machine guide, which will teach you all the basics you need to know. Now on with the DIY bookends!
Using the templates , cut four pyramid sides, one pyramid bottom, four tower sides and two tower bottoms.
Stitch two side pieces right sides (RS) together, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge.
Add two more pyramid side pieces in the same manner, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge.
Stitch the first pyramid side piece to the last pyramid side piece, RS together, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge.
Open the pyramid and pin to the square bottom piece, RS together. Stitch each side individually, leaving 5cm (2″) open on one side.
Trim the excess fabric on all five corners. Turn RS out. Press the edges of the opening under.
Stuff the top third of the pyramid. Fill the rest with the poly pellets to add weight.
Stitch the opening closed with the needle and coordinating thread, using a whip stitch. DIY bookend number one complete! Set the complete pyramid bookend to one side.
Stitch two side pieces RS together, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge. Add three more side pieces in the same manner, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge.
Stitch the first tower side piece to the last tower side piece, RS together, starting and ending 0.5cm (1⁄4″) from the edge.
Open the tower and pin to the square tower bottom piece, RS together. Stitch each side individually until all four sides are complete.
Repeat with the other tower square piece, leaving 5cm (2″) open on one side.
Repeat the same process as Steps 6, 7, and 8 of the pyramid doorstop to finish.
These bookends make wonderful presents for those who love to read. For an alternative look, sew two rectangular bookends from brown fabric and use a marker pen to add book-like details. The result will be a DIY bookend which looks like a book!
We hope you enjoyed sewing Leah’s DIY bookends! Now you’ve caught the sewing bug, head over to our sewing patterns for beginners, which have loads of different fashion and home projects for new sewers. There’s everything from summer dress patterns to a free owl sewing pattern.
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