UPDATE! DIY Bookends

Remember a few weeks ago when I taught you how to make these bookends?  

I knew at the time that they weren't exactly what I wanted, but I decided to live with them for a while and see if they grew on me.  Well I've spent the last few weeks looking at them and they were still just not right.  The elephants should be the star of the show, and then that block is so very big and yellow, I feel like the elephants are taking a back seat.  So the other day I went to Lowes in search of a fix and stumbled across these little guys.  I found them in the aisle with the wooden dowel rods and molding.  I actually saw them when I first started this project but thought they were too short.  But after seeing how bulky the larger blocks looked, I decided that they were exactly what I needed. There's no detailing on one edge, but I'm totally okay with that since it won't be visible anyway.

So I took those beauties home for a cool not-even-$2 each.  A few coats of spray paint (I think I ended up with 3, since the wood absorbed the paint pretty well) and some hot glue later, I finally have the look I was going for.

I am so obsessed with these little elephants.  The wood makes them look more polished and chic and it's just exactly what I needed. The blocks were the teensiest bit wider than before, so I had to really squeeze to get everything in, but I don't care.  It's worth it.  Have you ever made a small revision on a project that made all the difference?  And have you ever had to suck up your pride when you realized you passed up the right supplies the first time?  I'm telling you, I could have saved a solid $10 bucks if I'd have just gone with those wooden blocks in the first place!