SHELTER: Makeunder

Behold these faux novels featured in this month's Domino magazine gift guide. These are created by artist Leanne Shapton and are available for $165.

Here is how to achieve a similar look for less.

• Wooden blocks (ask for leftovers at Lowe's or Home Depot cut lumber sections)
• Acrylic, leftover house paint, or small quantity craft paints like FolkArt or DecoArt
• Satin finish polyurethane (I like Minwax water-based polycrylic)

Paint wooden blocks to emulate your favorite books.
Paint the 'page edges" with gold paint to emulate more high-end tomes (or Readers Digest Condensed books!)
Use them as paperweights or doorstops or stack them on your coffee table or your bookshelves.