Looking for a simple way to add character to your bookshelves, office, or kid’s bedroom? This Baseball Bookend project is much simpler than others I have seen.
Every tutorial I have found on these adorable bookends have required drilling holes into the baseballs. I wasn’t about to break out power tools for such a simple project, and I found that wait for it… glue works just as well. Yep, just your average craft glue. I also tried this technique out with tennis balls and it worked just as well.
Materials:
- 3 Baseballs (or tennis balls) per bookend
- Glue
- Paint
- T-Brackets
- Paint and Glitter (optional)
How To:
I wanted to add some personality to these baseballs before I turned them into bookends. I’ve only ever seen people construct these bookends out of old, used baseballs or brand new ones. I have not seen anyone decorate them. By the way, this would be a great way to display your kid’s home run balls if you are looking for a creative way to do that. If that’s your plan, skip the decorating. If, however, you would like to add some pizazz to brand new baseballs grab some paint and glitter.
I decided to paint two baseballs with red acrylic paint and add some glitter to the third ball. I added the glitter by mixing some glitter into ModPodge. Then, I applied the mixture to the baseball with a paint brush.
I ended up applying several coats of paint and two coats of the ModPodge – glitter mix.
Once the baseballs dried, I began to assemble the bookend. To do this, I first glued two baseballs together. I tested this with both E-600 glue and hot glue. Honestly, I prefer the hot glue. It’s easier to work with and dries much faster. Then I glued those two balls directly onto the T- bracket.
Now, it’s time for the last step! All that is left to do is to glue the last ball onto the bookend. Let dry and you are finished. I also tried this out with tennis balls. I actually used Fabric Fusion glue for the tennis balls and it worked great!
These bookends hold together surprisingly well. I don’t see a real need to drill holes and attach them with wooden pegs. I can’t see the glue at all on my bookends and I don’t plan on throwing them around any time soon. If you have always wanted to make these but haven’t wanted to go through all of the extra trouble of power tools, just break out your hot glue gun instead.
