In the dead of winter, I’m a big fan of staying inside and curling up with a good book. A book collection is one of those rare things that you can just keep on expanding, as long as you have the shelving for it! If you have open shelves, not only is using a couple of bookends a great way to keep your books in place, but it also gives you some new accessory ideas to incorporate into your decor. Here are just a few very unique and unusual bookend styles that might inspire you.

Industrial Strength

If you’re a fan of the industrial or steampunk look, then there may be no better use for pipes, Edison bulbs, and other old machine parts than to hold your books together. You can find all sorts of these eye-catching bookends sold on Etsy. The following three are from PipeDreamDecor, UrbanIndustrialCraft, and Industrial Houseware.

Tales from Mother Nature

You might be surprised to discover just how many things there are right outside your door that you may be able to use as bookends. A & G Merch took a simple tree trunk, split it in half, and put some books between them for a simple, rustic look.

If you’re lucky, you may be able to find a couple of fishbowl halves that are flat in the center like these two featured on My Clean Slate. Perfect to use as bookends! This example shows a terrarium with soil, moss, rocks, and other small plants.

Okay, so you may not find any stones as pretty as the ones below right outside your door, but you can get them from West Elm if you want a couple of large selections to use as bookends.

Geometric Concrete

For a very modern look, you can use pieces that add some shapely flair to your book collection. eHow has a great DIY tutorial on how to make your own geometric boulder bookend out of quick-drying concrete.

Etsy shop KinsfolkAcessories also featured this triangular concrete bookend with a tiny built-in planter on its side. How’s that for uniqueness?!

Metallic Imagination

Bookends made of metal can come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and objects that resemble various items. Check out these adorable little Scandinavian-like tree bookends featured on Moy Bibliomir.

Storenvy has these heavenly angel wing bookends that will make your book collections look like they’re ready to fly off the shelf.

DesignAtelierArticle on Etsy takes inspiration from punctuation and makes a pair of metallic bookends out of curly brackets.

Kids’ Storytime

When it comes to kids’ bedrooms, you can have a lot of fun with styles of bookends. They may not always look just right when used somewhere else in your home, but you’re allowed to get way more imaginative in spaces made for kids. Check out this wildly creative superhero bookend from My Modern Art that looks almost too real!

And because we all know that kids love animals, it’s fun to see how animal forms can be cut in half and used as whimsical bookends. This blue whale example featured on An Angel Ate My Table works wonderfully.

Upcycling Old Finds

Finally, as a last suggestion, you may want to take a look around your home, in your closets, in the attic, and in the garage to see which types of old junk could be repurposed as bookends. Take this old door knob from Rustic Crafts for example, which looks absolutely gorgeous holding up a stack of books.

Or how about mason jars? These jars found on A Beautiful Mess were painted to look more decorative beside some books.

The possibilities are literally endless when it comes to looking for new and unusual ideas for bookends. And it’s also just a good excuse to buy more books!