6/15/11

DIY: Alchemy Bookends

Lately I've been seeing a lot of natural (I use that term loosely) designs in decor. I.E. Gluing a pile of rocks together & spray painting the whole thing gold. Despite the simplicity, it's a pretty snazzy result.
Short order details are below, visit designsponge for a full illustration.


Supplies                                                            
  • rocks of all different shapes and sizes (get several that are flat on two sides)                           
  • metallic gold spray paint  
  • industrial strength glue such as liquid nails #3 or E6000 
  • gold leaf adhesive and gold leaf
  • weighted cardboard box
  • Hot glue gun & glue sticks
  • Toothpicks
  • Old paint brush
  • Soap & an old toothbrush


Instructions
1. Gather rocks and scrub with soap and toothbrush. Let dry completely.
2. Spray paint rocks gold. Make sure to get all sides and angles nice and covered. Let dry according to spray paint instructions.


3. Pick out rocks that are flat on the bottom and one side. Look around until you find three that can serve as your starting point. Use hot glue to quickly tack them together. Place them next to your heavy box and keep building! This project is like a 3D puzzle that can have slight imperfections. After you have a good start, stop and reinforce the rocks with your industrial-strength glue.
Hot glue alone will
 not hold these gems together forever!

4. Use your box as a guide to make the flat side of the bookend that will hold up your books. Keep building by hot-gluing and then reinforcing until you have a nice shape that you are happy with

5. To add a “facet” shine, gold leaf some rock edges. This is also a great way to cover any glue that’s showing!
6. VOILA! You now have another shiny thing to play with. 


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