There are a few things that simply seem to belong on a bedside table: a lamp, alarm clock, perhaps a pair of glasses, and a few magazines or books. Then, once you add a few personal items (mine usually include a crossword puzzle or two and a glass of water), and there’s not a lot of extra space for any accessories or “decor” items.
So, I wanted to make something to add a little bit of fun and style, but that doesn’t take up too much prime nightstand real estate or interfere with the other items.And so, you see the results above: an alternative take on the bookmark (which I never seem to use anyway), in the form of a clean, Scandinavian-style wooden home. If using it to support your books isn’t your thing, no worries. Who wouldn’t want a tiny little wooden house to accessorize any space?
1) I began with a 4″ x 6″ x 14″ block of reclaimed wood (basswood, I think) that I found in the scrap aisle of my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was a little banged up, but I was able to trim and plane the sides…
…and come up with a nice, square usuable block:
2. Then, I trace the house profile onto the face of the wood, first finding the center, and using a 53° angle on the roof.
Then, I cut the out the roof shape:
I cut the roof out of the entire length of the block, so I could just slice it up and make multiples later. See?
3. To make the door, I routed a 1 1/2″ dado through the bottom of the block. It’d be easy enough to do this with any handsaw, or rotary tool like a Dremel.
4. Then, I just cut the final strip into three equal sections:
And had three tiny wooden, bookmark houses!
How fun! These make me want to go find some Matchbox cars and set up a play space!
True, I do have a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and I used them here, but everything here can be done with simple hand tools, like a $20 pull saw or coping saw.
