The Clever Way Bookworms Should Be Reusing Old Glass Jars Around The House

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For bookworms, opening the temptingly crisp — or deliciously worn! — pages of a book is a sure way to escape reality and visit another dimension altogether. And real book lovers know how much more fun it is to dive into a book in a place that inspires you to read. One clever way to create this vibe is to decorate your bookshelf with immersive, novelty bookends made of reused old glass jars. Since the jars are see-through, you can stick just about anything in them that will draw your attention and make you want to grab a book right off the shelf. Whether you opt for miniature books, themed decorations, or seasonal adornments, your magical jars of fantasy will speak to you and prop up your books up at the same time.

Bookends are handy if you have a bookcase or shelf and prefer to keep your tomes standing up vertically. They act as stops and even dividers to organize your books into specific sections (say, by genre). However, just because they serve a technical purpose doesn't mean you can't use them as décor to style your bookshelf. With glass jar bookends, you can spruce up your reading space with timeless craftsmanship that won't cost you a pretty penny but will brighten up your day whenever you see them.

Since bookends are supposed to serve as supports, filling them with as many items as possible makes sense — the added weight will keep the jars in place. For bookworms, this is a good opportunity to bring out all those miniature book charms and stuff them into the jars. If you don't have any, you can put the charms together in a flash using Sculpey S2 Original Polymer Clay and Elmer's Liquid School Glue along with regular household tools like scissors, a blade, a paintbrush, and a baking tray.

Gather your kids for the arts-and-crafts project and print out mini versions of all your favorite book covers. Cut the prints out, fold them twice at the spine to shape them, and pile them up. Next, bring out a ball of polymer clay and flatten it into the thickness you want for the charm. Use a print-out book cover to measure the width and height and cut off the excess clay. Use it as a template to cut out more clay books. Place them on a baking tray and bake them according to the instructions on the label of the clay container. Once hardened, let them cool before gluing on the cover prints. Brush more glue onto the miniature books to laminate them and place them in the jars.

If you want bookends with a bit more life to them, build miniature glass jar terrariums for your bookshelf. You don't even have to purchase any new items —  just scout for them in the yard. You can decide whether to build an open or a closed type of terrarium depending on the chosen plant's humidity requirements.

Start with a layer of pebbles at the bottom for a solid structure before adding another layer of charcoal for water and odor absorption. After this, you can add the soil, which will likely be the thickest layer, to give the plants enough space to take root and grow. Since the terrarium is in a shallow glass jar, you'll have to choose plants that don't have deep roots. Succulents are a great choice because they come in miniature versions, but you'll have to leave the glass jar open for them to thrive. For a closed terrarium, Fittonia makes a great plant child because it doesn't need direct sunlight and loves moisture. That said, there are plenty of low-maintenance terrarium plants anyone could take care of without too much effort. Place your terrariums at the beginning and end of your book collection when you're done with them.

You can also encourage your kids to save by turning a couple of old glass jars into piggy bank bookends. Every time they finish a book, drop a silver dollar or some loose change into it. If nothing else, the sight of all that money will motivate them to pick up a book and get their reading on.

Looking for more creative and functional ways to turn glass jars into bookends? Decorate the jars to reflect the genre of the books occupying a given shelf. This way, the DIY bookends will feel more intentional, and you and your guests will have an easier time browsing your book collection — especially if it's vast. 

Your imagination is the only limit to decorating ideas. For example, if you have a shelf dedicated to travel literature, you can give the jars some nautical flair by filling them with sand, crab shells, and seashells. Alternatively, draw or decoupage maritime-themed graphics on the jars (think mermaids, sea stars, or sailboats) or simply paint them in white or baby blue and tie a bit of twine around their necks. 

Likewise, if one of the shelves is home to horror, mystery, and the like, give it an eerie feel with painted lantern jars. Again, your options are limitless. You can keep things simple and paint spooky images on the glass (bats, skulls, grim reaper, or bony arms poking out of graves will do). Or, dial things up and texture the jars by adding a layer of burlap or fabric netting over the painted glass. Once you've decorated the exterior of the jars, pop in a source of light — these HL Submersible LED Lights should work well. 

If your book collection is not organized by theme or genre, you can fashion glass jar bookends that change their appearance for every season or holiday. Whether you're getting ready to celebrate the arrival of fall, preparing for winter holidays, welcoming spring, or reveling in summertime bliss, these bookends can complement your home's seasonal decor. You can even reuse the glass jars for different seasons or holidays as long as the decorative elements aren't permanent or too difficult to remove. 

For simple (and easily changeable) fall-styled bookends, keep the jars' glass clear, but fill them with all things autumn — colorful leaves, pine cones, mini pumpkins, and warm-hued LED lights. You're done! Put the bookends on the shelves and enjoy them while the season lasts. Then, as winter approaches, you'll be ready for a fun upgrade. Keep the pine cones and LED lights but replace the leaves and pumpkins with some dried red berries, red bows, and pine branches. Your bookshelves are now ready for the winter holidays! 

As warm weather arrives and you want to replace cozy winter adornments with something fresh and vernal, fill the jars with water and use them to hold spring flower arrangements. When decorating your home for Easter a few weeks later, fill the jars with pastel-colored chocolates; stick a few artificial tulips into the DIY bookends to keep the spring theme alive. And as summer returns, your trusty glass jar bookends can become home to anything you associate with the season, whether it's seashells or plants.