It’s been very quiet around our home (and the blog), as I’ve been grieving the loss of our beloved canine daughter, Maddie. Two weeks ago, she was diagnosed with cancer, and she transcended to heaven last week. For those who knew her, she radiated pure love that is still felt in all our hearts. As I slowly pick up the pieces of my broken heart, I am returning to blogging, and I appreciate all of your patience during the last few weeks of silence at Poetic Home.
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What should a girl do when she has too many books and antique shoe forms? Make bookends, of course! I shared several repurposed bookend and repurposed antique shoe form ideas previously, and this new project combines the best of both worlds.
I remember visiting a shoe repairman as a child and seeing antique shoe forms all over the shop, used as coat hangers, a business card holder, door stop, and paperweight. This imagery stayed in my head and inspired me to create shoe form bookends, which are quite simple to make.
- I found a set of two matching wooden pieces at Re-store (alas, they did not have that aged wood patina I love, but this size worked well.)
- I asked my husband (nicely) to drill a hole on the bottom of the each piece.
- I screwed a long screw through the bottom of each base and into the heel of the antique shoe form.
- I’m being very careful during the pregnancy to limit my exposure to chemicals. However, if you want to properly ensure that the shoe form will not rotate or spin, you could add a drop of wood glue into each of the holes.
- Lastly, I hot glued two pieces of felt to the bottom of the bases to prevent them from scratching any surfaces.
Arched antique shoe forms work wonderfully, as the soles hold the books in place. However, the more common flat antique shoe forms can also be used, and you simply need to screw the shoe form along the edge of the base itself. In the latter scenario, both the base and the entire shoe form itself would hold the books in place.
