This TikToker Shows All The Ways They Use Thrifted Bookends Throughout Their Home — And None of Them Involve Books

Bookends are beautiful, but they can be a bit awkward to style. How often do you really need to store books upright on something that isn’t a bookshelf? Luckily, there are more than a few ways to use bookends around the house. One TikToker came up with five different ways to put decorative bookends to work — and none of them actually involve books.

Sarah Teresinski of the @redeux_style TikTok account shared a few of her favorite ways to “upcycle” bookends in a February TikTok. “Number one has to be the door stopper. Brass bookends make the best door stoppers,” Teresinski said in the video. “You can use any kind of bookend, but I prefer the brass.”

Think about it — they’re already flat on one side and have weight to them to keep books standing upright. Therefore, they’re perfect for keeping doors in place, too!

Bookends also provide excellent storage for hand towels in the bathroom and cloth napkins in the kitchen when a napkin stand isn’t in sight. Just fold up your towels and napkins nicely, and wedge them between the two bookends to keep them tidy.

And bookends can also be used to store and display wallets and clutches in your closet, or to keep outgoing mail organized in your entryway. 

And finally, Teresinski notes that bookends on their own are pieces of art — whether you find them as singles or in a pair. So, while you’re using one bookend to keep your door in place, use the other as a sculpture on a shelf or table to act as a conversation starter. 

So, hit the thrift store and keep collecting those vintage bookends. You may not need them to keep your books in order, but you definitely need them for your doors, towels, napkins, mail, and more.