Brighten Your Shelf With Two-Toned DIY Bookends

Choose Those Two-Tones

To brighten your bookends, you'll first want to choose a color that really stands out. We suggest something like teal, coral or emerald green. Once you've selected your desired shade of spray paint, pick a complementary color to achieve that two-toned look: mint green for teal, scarlet for coral, sage for emerald, etc. Then set those cans aside. 

Paint Your Bases

After removing the lid of your ceramic jar and setting it aside, spray paint the entire wooden block and the body of your jar the same color. For this project, I painted the base that rich scarlet shade so that the darker color would beautifully transition into the coral.  

Apply Painter's Tape

Wait one hour for your base coat to dry, then cut two strips of painter's tape that are slightly longer than the height of your jar. Lay one strip at angle on one side of the jar, and then repeat this process on the other side. You should now have two separated sections. 

Spray the Second Shade

At this time, spray your lid with the second shade. Then, using those two strips of painter's tape as boundaries, spray one side of the jar the same color. Wait approximately an hour for this coat to dry, and then carefully remove the tape.

Add Your White Stripe

Once your jar is completely dry, cut four strips of painter's tape and place two on each side of the jar, about half an inch apart. Repeat on the other side, so that you have two blocked off stripe-like sections. Next, use your foam paint brush to apply a thick layer of white acrylic paint to the space in the middle. 

Connect the Blocks

With all of that hard work out of the way, you can finally move onto the easiest (and last) step: gluing! Apply a layer of permanent craft glue to the bottom of your jar and adhere to the wooden block. After it dries, place the lid on top, display your bookend on the shelf and watch how quickly it transforms your space!