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Bookshelves are made for sitting things on, including stacks of books, family photos, or art sculptures. That’s a given, right? While this is the common way to use up shelf space, it’s not the only way to do it. As TikToker @redeux_style pointed out in a post, if you have a small tension rod, your bookshelves become a place where lanterns, hanging plants, and other accessories can find a home.

If this is a decorating DIY that appeals to you, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. You’re not hanging curtains, so the tension rod doesn’t have to be very long. An AIZESI 16-inch to 28-inch tension rod should be enough. Most tension rods come in different colors and materials. Take advantage of this because it allows you to match the rod with the shelves you’re hanging it on.

Since the purpose of the rod is to expand the ways in which you can arrange your bookshelves, you’ll want a few items to hang on it. Consider these: vintage-style metal hanging lanterns from JHY DESIGN cast warm flickers of candlelight onto nearby books and photos, small pots of hanging plants, and even ornaments. During the holidays, these can be personalized Christmas bulbs or even stockings. Finally, to make this a really standout area on the shelf, other items like a colorful placemat, a mirror, stacks of books, and artwork can be arranged in a way that shows off your taste.

This is an interesting way to decorate a bookshelf. It breaks up how items are typically displayed on the shelf because you’re hanging items on it instead of sitting them on the shelf. That said, some of the items you use as complements to this arrangement do need to rest on the shelf, and many of those you can lay down first. These items should be chosen with that in mind. For example, a black placemat with poppies and moths from Artoid Mode gives off Dark Academia vibes and looks striking when you place it below the area where you’ll position the tension rod.

Once you lay down the placemat, hang the tension rod on the same shelf, just above the placemat. After it’s in position, lean at least one mirror on the back wall of the bookshelf. For a more dramatic effect and to maximize the light reflections you’ll get from the candles in the lanterns, arrange three mirrors on the placemat. This arrangement relies on a common principle in decorating, which is to place odd-numbered groupings together for visual impact. The lanterns and any hanging plants go up after you’re done arranging those.

The final stage of this project sees you putting the items in place that will sit on the shelves, like the vintage books you’ll repurpose into decor. You’ll want to experiment with the arrangement of these secondary items to ensure that they maintain their visual symmetry. More importantly, you’ll want to ensure that they don’t detract from the centerpiece of the display, the tension rod, and the items hanging on it.