Here's How:
To make plastic animal bookends, you will need:
dollar store plastic animals
sharp scissors
strong craft glue
acrylic photo frames
spray paint (optional)
I was so excited to get started on this project, that I didn’t take a before picture of the plastic toys. Whoops.
To bisect the toys, I just pierced the animal in the midsection (this is beginning to sound like a biology lab) with my scissors, and cut all the way around. I was careful to keep my cutline as straight as possible.
One the toy was halved, I applied a generous layer of glue to the cut edge and stuck the toy onto the frame. It took a little trial and error to correctly place the toy so that the animal’s feet touched the ground when the bookend was standing.
Once the animal halves were in place, I left them to dry. This is always the hardest part for me.
I think these tiger bookends are hilarious, but I can’t tell you exactly why.
Animal bookends would work equally well in a circus- or a jungle-themed room. If you are lucky enough to have a favorite professional sports team with an animal mascot (Go, Detroit Tigers!), these could even find a place in a teen’s room or Man Cave!
To take the project one step further, I hit an elephant and a lion head bookend with a coat of Krylon’s Oil Rubbed Bronze. Satin-finished gold or antique copper spray paint would look very chic too.
The plastic toy and acrylic frame took the spray paint well, no priming necessary. Just use a light hand on the frame to avoid drips.
I adore the curve of the elephant’s trunk. I would be really surprised if a house guest could pick these out as dollar store toys!
For a funkier take, you could choose less traditional animals (my dollar store also had hippos and giraffes) and paint them in a trendy neon color. It would be a snarky nod to the traditional animal bookend with a modern twist.
I hope you will give these bookends a try. It’s a project that can easily be completed in an afternoon with such satisfying results!
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