A few weeks ago, we found this very sad little, broken something at a thrift store. I’m not really sure what it was, but it desperately needed some serious TLC. The bottom was missing, there were watermarks everywhere, and the wood was screaming for some attention.
When I first saw the “something”, I kinda just stroked her lightly and then moved on because I had no idea what I could do with her. But this forlorn little beauty haunted me for a week. So I finally went back to the thrift shop and brought her home and turned her into this unique side table ;-)
She needed a little work before her transformation was complete, though. But, before I share how we gave the “Something” a bookish transformation, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
Getting The “Something” Ready for her Transformation
I first tried to remove the watermarks by lightly sanding the entire surface. Most of the varnish had long since worn away, so I used 60-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the rings before moving to 120-grit to smooth things out. Fortunately, the stains weren’t as deep as I initially thought. If your stains are deeper and sanding doesn’t work, try wiping the rings with mild detergent and water.
Under the watchful eye of our Cleo, I removed the drawer handle and a weird strip of wood at the back of the “something”. Someone had probably put it there to stop the drawer from sliding too far in.
Fixing the Structure
There were so many things wrong with the “something”, but I knew she still had a heart of gold in there somewhere, and her bones were good. I gave her a new pegboard back and bottom. Did I mention she was bottomless too?
The back and bottom were glued and screwed on before I applied a gorgeous wood stain all over the little “something”.
Now we were stuck. She looked pretty impressive with her new coat of stain, and she finally had a back and a bottom, but she didn’t have a leg to stand on, and no one was going to take her seriously ;-) She was just too short. Between Hubby and I, we can handle most power tools. Unfortunately, we’ve never quite figured out how a lathe works, so we couldn’t give her the legs she deserved. I searched high a low in all the thrift stores in our area, and body-less legs were nowhere to be found. Nothing, nada, niks :-(
Giving the Broken “Something” a Leg Up
The only thing we did have was a ton of books. Well, not quite a ton more like a huge box full of Reader’s Digest that had been read and moved to the garage to make space for other books and our Kindles. They could work. I hate damaging any kind of book. It really freaks me out. It feels like I’m destroying someone’s life work. Are you like that too?
Initially, we tried using double-sided tape to stick the books together, but it didn’t work. The whole structure was too unstable. So I had to resort to drilling through the center of the books. Eeeeek!!! I checked you can still read them; there are just a few words missing on each page :D
I stacked all the books on a piece of wood that’s as wide as the “something” and then pushed a thread bar through the holes we’d drilled.
To secure the “broken something” to her new bookish legs, I marked the center point at the bottom of the “something” and drilled a hole big enough for the thread bar to fit through. The thread bar was secured on the inside of the “something” with a nut.
I found a picture of an old book spine and resized it to fit on the drawer. The picture was mod podge on, and then I reattached the hardware using a knife. Sorry, sometimes I’m just too lazy to get the proper tool for the job :-) That’s probably why our knives look like they do.
Now that broken “something” can stand proudly on her new leg :D
Our bookish side table and the luggage makeover we gave our dresser are probably my favorite makeovers ever.
But I would love to know what you think. Is it something you would add to your decor?
If you like the idea of giving a broken something a bookish makeover, don’t forget to pin it for later.
Have you re-purposed books to make something, and do you also feel bad when you hurt them?
Oh, and if you’re looking for a few more unusual side table ideas, I’ve got you covered Disclosure: If you click on the links below, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more unique DIY and crafts ideas for you;-)
Sending blessings and love as always. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
73 comments
littlelot drilling through those old Reader's Digests. We still come from a generation where books are sacred.