Upcycle Old Baseballs Into A Cute And Functional DIY For Your Cabinets

Striking out when it comes to creative home decor and organization ideas? A few baseballs could help you hit a home run and keep books and other items organized on a shelf, desk, or cabinet. The idea comes from TikTok creator breeya_shade – she glues three baseballs together in a stacked design to create a bookend that's cute and functional. You could also whip up six balls if you want to put one on each side of your book collection. The best part? These baseball supports come together quickly and can be used for more than just holding your favorite novels, especially since there are many ways to use bookends that don't involve books.

Sourcing the baseballs depends on your goals for the project. If you have old baseballs your child played with, using them helps hold onto those sentimental balls while adding a fun display to a cabinet. If you don't have any handy (or you don't want to glue balls with sentimental value), check the sporting goods section of a thrift store or go to a secondhand shop that specializes in sports equipment, like Play It Again Sports. And if that fails, you can buy them new.

Other than that, you'll need construction adhesive, E6000 glue, or a similar adhesive to hold the baseballs together. If you're using brand-new balls and want them to look old, grab a few shades of acrylic brown paint to age them. You can also add painted designs, so make sure you have a range of brushes, paint colors, and markers on hand.

The basic idea here is simply to glue baseballs together in a stack that will stand on its own and potentially help support other items on your shelf. The original creator uses a three-ball approach, with two balls side-by-side on the bottom and a third on top in a pyramid shape. Tilting the pyramid in toward the books or other items helps it stay upright.

That being said, feel free to get creative with your stacking, making it wider or taller depending on your needs. Another option is to repurpose tennis balls, softballs, or mini soccer balls. If you're a hockey family, try a modified version with a stack of hockey pucks. Or, incorporate additional supports to your design. You might glue two boards together at a right angle to create a more traditional bookend shape, and then attach the baseballs to the wood. You could even glue a stack of baseballs in an old baseball glove to bring in other elements of the game.

To age the balls, put a small amount of different shades of brown paint in a plastic bag and roll the ball around in it. Wipe off the excess paint with a cloth until you achieve the desired effect. Prefer a more playful look? Consider zhuzhing up the leather surface with eye-catching paint colors and patterns to fit the design theme of your home office library. Finally, for a personalized display, have each family member sign their name on a ball to recreate the look of an autographed baseball.