This Simple DIY Knife Block Adds A Whimsical Touch To Your Kitchen

Knife blocks are not simply functional pieces that can help you organize the knives you need within reach in the kitchen; they can also spruce up your space. Crafting a block from books is the perfect ticket to bring a bit of magic into your work area. Instead of relegating old books to a shelf to be merely gazed upon, a grouped-together cluster of novels can be used to hold the best kitchen knife sets you want to proudly display.

Pick up old books or head to the local thrift store to find the raw material you need to make this charming DIY knife block. You can paint the book covers to match the pre-existing aesthetic of your kitchen or leave the covers of the books exposed to invite a sense of nostalgia and whimsy into your home. If you take the painting route, a quick base of white paint can help the color you want to stand out when brushed onto an old book cover. Use other tools to build texture along the painted covers.

Scratch marks can be made with toothpicks, or an older brush can be dragged in one direction across colored paint to reveal some of the base coat underneath. You can further customize the look of the books with added lettering or designs that complement the design of your kitchen.

Be careful that you don't paint the pages of the books so that your most-used sharp knives can be easily slid in and out of the books once your knife block is put together. To create a cohesive look among the pages of each of the books, try using a piece of sandpaper to lightly brush the pages. The more you sand the books, the lighter the pages will appear. You'll only need to sand the surfaces that will be visible so that you can save your energy for the rest of the project.

Once your books are painted to your liking and the pages are sanded to perfection, you can start to assemble your knife block. Use a hot glue gun to fix the books together and twine or ribbon to secure them in place for added stability. After the books have been tied up and the glue has dried, you are ready to insert the knives you're looking to store directly into the pages of the books. With an organizational piece this charming, your DIY project is sure to become a hot topic of conversation at the next dinner party you host.