How to make your own crackle-look bookends

07 Mar 2025

If you're looking for a simple yet striking way to add character to your bookshelf, crackle-finish bookends are a fun and creative DIY project. Using Resene paints and a clever layering technique, you can achieve a beautifully aged, textured effect that mimics the look of timeworn paint. 

You will need:

·      Band saw or jigsaw

·      Drill with drill bit

·      Screwdriver

·      Chisel

·      Handsaw

·      Ruler and tri square

·      Sander and sandpaper

·      2x wood bookends: 200mm (w) x 240mm (h) x 18mm (d)

·      1x wood wall plate: 600mm (w)  x 40mm (h)  x 18mm (d)

·      1x wood shelf: 600mm (w)  x 200mm high x 20mm (d)

·      Resene Quick Dry undercoat

·       Resene FX Crackle effect

·       Resene testpot paints in your chosen colours. We used Resene Sea Fog and Resene Double Foundry.

Step 1

Take the wall plate and shelf and round off two corners of each along the long edges with a saw. Sand all edges for a smooth finish.

Make five 4mm holes on the 18mm sides of the wall plate and countersink it with a 10mm bit halfway through for the screws. Screw this at the bottom on the edge of the shelf.

Step 2

Make five holes for the screws on the wall plate and counter sink the holes that will attach the shelf against the wall.

Cut a 20mm wide x 180mm length slit in the middle of each book end.

Note: The slits should be in the middle (i.e. 110mm from the top and bottom) and should be the same thickness as the shelving (200mm high x 20mm deep). The length of the slit should be 180mm from the outer edge.

Round off two outer corners of the bookends with a saw. Sand the corners for a smooth finish.

Step 3

Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry undercoat to the shelf and bookends.

Apply two coats of Resene Sea Fog to the shelf and bookends. Allow to dry.

Once your undercoat has dried, apply one coat of Resene FX Crackle effect to the bookends and allow to dry (approx. 30-40 minutes). Once dry, apply one coat of Resene Double Foundry to the bookends.

This is where the magic happens - Resene FX Crackle effect will cause the topcoat to shrink and crack, revealing the base colour through the cracks!

To finish, fix the shelf to the wall and slide the bookends onto the shelf – they should sit snug, but be able to slide horizontally to ‘hug’ the books. 

Top tips:

·      There are a range of other Resene FX you can try – everything from Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint to Resene FX Paint Effects Medium which you can use to create limewashed effects.

·      For a more subtle crackle effect, choose two Resene colours that are more similar to each other.

·      For a little extra bling, use a Resene FX Metallic colour for your basecoat.  Once the Resene FX Crackle cracks you will see glimmers of the metallic finish through the cracks.

project Ivan Moses

stylist Megan Harrison-Turner

images Bryce Carleton

Credit:Shelf and vases painted in Resene Sea Fog, with book ends in Resene Sea Fog and Resene Double Foundry with Resene FX Crackle effect.

Published: 07 Mar 2025