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Me time – how to make your own book and glasses stand

26 Sep 2024

Never lose your place again with this easy book holder. Not only is it super simple to make and super practical for your book, the inside of this smart design is a great place to store reading glasses, your phone or even a small bowl of tasty snacks. A great tip for projects like this that will be used a lot is to finish with Resene Aquaclear to give them a durable, wipe-able finish. It'll help keep them looking good for longer.

You will need:

  • 180mm x 19mm x 750mm piece of timber
  • Testpot of Resene Hippie Blue or your favourite colour  
  • Resene Aquaclear semi-gloss
  • Resene Colour Enhance White
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Mitre saw (if sawing by hand, you’ll need a set square to mark the 60 degree angle)
  • Paint brush
  • Speed brush
  • Sandpaper
  • Hammer
  • 6x 30mm wood nails
  • Washi or masking tape

How to:


Step 1: Measure then cut three 2500mm lengths of timber.
 
Step 2: If using a mitre saw lock off the saw at a 30-degree angle from the edge and cut. If you are using a hand saw, use a set square to measure a 60-degree angle inwards from the edge, then cut along that angle. A mitre saw will give the most accurate result.

Lightly sand each piece of wood, particularly the cut edges. Wipe off sanding dust.

 
Step 3: Paint the interior sides of the wood pieces (these are the sides with the smaller surface area and inward-facing angles). It’s much easier to do this before the pieces are joined.

 
Step 4: Once dry, arrange the three wood pieces into a triangle, using washi tape to temporarily hold them in place.

 
Step 5: Nail the pieces together, then remove the tape.
 
Step 6: Stain or paint the exterior sides with your choice of Resene finish. We used Resene Colour Enhance White mixed with Resene Aquaclear.


Outside of book stand in Resene Colour Enhance White mixed with Resene Aquaclear. Inside painted in Resene Hippie Blue, tabletop in Resene Charred Black wood stain and wall in Resene Eighth Tana.

project LauraGrace McFarland
images Bryce Carleton

Published: 26 Sep 2024