Upgrade Dollar Tree Cutting Boards Into The Cutest Bookshelf Organizers

The Dollar Tree carries many modest home essentials that can turn out to be real hidden gems for DIYers. The Cooking Concepts Bamboo Cutting Board, for instance, don't look like anything special at first glance, being just $1.25 a piece and small in size for modest cooking ventures. However, when repurposed outside of the kitchen, these unassuming cutting boards prove useful in dozens of stylish home projects. One idea from The Crazy Craft Lady on YouTube transforms them into adorable bookshelf organizers. 

With decorative napkins decoupaged on the front and craft sticks keeping them upright, these creative bookends make a perfect small home library idea for anyone short on space. The DIY is easy to do, and it makes the Dollar Tree cutting board unrecognizable when finished. You'll only need a few common household tools to complete this project. To recolor the cutting board, you'll need Mod Podge (in a matte or glossy sheen of your choice), white chalk craft paint, paper napkins, and another chalk paint that matches the paper napkins' color scheme. You'll also need heavy-duty shears (miter shears or pruning shears will work), jumbo craft sticks, and a strong adhesive like super glue or E6000. Once complete and placed on a shelf, these bookshelf additions can divide your books by series, author name, genre, cover design, or any category you like, keeping your literature collection organized in style. 

Once you've tracked down all the necessary supplies at Dollar Tree or elsewhere, start prepping a board for decoupage. Put a solid coat of white paint on one side, and paint the other side and the edges in a shade that complements your napkin design. This part of your organizer will be visible on a shelf, so be careful to paint all the edges thoroughly. 

Separate the napkin layers so you have just the decorative printed top piece. Decoupage it onto the white side of the cutting board by spreading Mod Podge all over the white cutting board surface and carefully smoothing the paper over it. You can also use a hot crafting iron to smooth down any creases or loose corners. Although the iron isn't critical, it will help ensure your results have a professional finish. File away the excess napkin running over the sides by rubbing the edge of the cutting board with a nail file or a piece of sandpaper. To give them a bit of sheen and protection, apply another coat of Mod Podge or spray sealer to seal the decoupaged paper.

The next step is to create the feet that keep the organizer standing upright alongside books. Cut the jumbo-size popsicle sticks in half using your shears, and use hot glue and super glue to attach them to one short edge on the painted cutting board so the entire build has an "L" shape. Although they'll be hidden under the books, paint the popsicle sticks to blend with the rest of the design.

The final step that truly upgrades this bookend is adding labels to the upcycled cutting board. The Crazy Craft Lady took a more creative approach in her video by utilizing a metal label holder for the front label. You can follow her inspiration with your own thrifted or salvaged hardware piece, or take the easy route of installing a cute label sticker, like the Jot Chalkboard Stickers at Dollar Tree. Put a tag on the decoupaged side, and label the bookends based on how you categorize your books. The organizer should press directly up against your books, with the popsicle stick bottoms sliding under the standing books to prop the craft up in place.

With these organizers in place, you can free up bookends in ways that don't even involve books. Using these DIY designs don't take up much room, giving you more space to work with, more freedom in designing your shelf, and more ways to stack your books vertically or horizontally to best display a home library. With their saved space, you may even have room to store other Dollar Tree DIY decor and knick-knacks that showcase your personality and style.