For this example I have an 8" and a 6" mountain. You can cut your pieces to whatever heights you prefer but you will need your bookends to be heavy enough to actually hold books up and you will want some distance in height between the two pieces of wood to get the double snow capped mountain look. So step one is cutting your scrap wood to size. Cut the 2x6 at 8" and the 2x4 at 6".
At this stage you may want to sand your block a bit if needed. My scrap wood needed a bit of sanding to remove the black ink marks of the manufacture and some dents. You can skip this step if you want to. You will need to sand a bit after cutting as well so you can sand at that step, I just find it easier to sand the larger the piece of wood is.
Next, using a bandsaw cut diagonally across the scrap wood. I like using the bandsaw because it allows me to add some texture to the mountain with little effort. If you don't have a band saw you you can try a jigsaw as they will allow you to add uneven terrain to the side of your mountain.
After cutting your pieces in half diagonally, sand the cut edges smooth. If you need or want to add texture to the mountain sides you can do so here at this stage. Since I used a bandsaw my mountains have some nice terrain to them.
Now you get to customize the look. Using acrylic or chalk paint (or stain if you prefer) to paint the mountains. You may need more than one coat of paint. Sand in between coats if necessary, or sand at the end to give a light distressed look. Add snow caps to the tops of the mountains for a finishing touch.
After the paint has completely dried you will want to bust out your wood glue and clamps. I prefer to glue the mountains together for strength and weight but you could skip this step if you wanted to. Apply wood glue to the smaller of the two mountains, then press together with large mountain paying special attention to lining up the bottom and edge that will be holding the books. Once you get them adjusted, clamp in place. Remove any excess wood glue. I like to use a super small flat head screwdriver and damp paper towel to clean up any extra wood glue. Let set for 24 hours.
Once the glue is dried, remove clamps. You are ready to style your books and tackle the organization of shelves and bookcases.
