Are you a reader that has run out of room for your every growing book collection? When I moved recently, we left our fabulous built-in bookshelves behind and ended up with 10 or so boxes of books in the garage for months. My boyfriend actually threatened to throw them out, since I was no longer actively reading any of them! Can you imagine? As a lifelong reader, I could not bear the thought of getting rid of some of my most prized possessions just because we did not have adequate storage in our new home. I quickly went looking to find a new home for my favorite books but wanted something stylish for the new house. After perusing most every DIY bookshelf idea on Pinterest, I came up with this list of 34 awesome DIY shelving ideas and thought I would share it with you. From the quick, cheap and easy crate shelf you can make with boxes available at your local craft store to cute ideas for the kids’ rooms to dreamy, vintage-inspired shelves that already look like heirlooms, you are sure to find the perfect DIY bookshelf here. There are also several creatively cool ideas for bookshelf makeovers. I ended up trying the IKEA hack for the Billy bookshelf hack and ended up with two of those in the living room, they are perfect. Whether your need bedroom decor ideas or some DIY living room projects, these inexpensive bookcases you can make yourself will add a creative touch to any room. Plus, you have more space to store your books, and if you’re like me, you can never have enough books in the house. If you’ve seen a bookshelf from Pinterest, we probably have it here, the easy crate shelf, the tree bookcase, DIY book ledges, several IKEA hacks for bookshelves, painted bookcases and wood book storage projects, take your pick. Which DIY book shelving idea will you choose?
DIY Bookshelf Ideas
1. Built In Floating Bookcase
A hallway is the one place a normal bookcase cannot go, which is exactly the problem this solves. The shelves are recessed into the wall itself so nothing projects into the walkway, and the back panel is painted a strong olive so the unit reads as architecture rather than as a shelf someone screwed up later. That painted back is the whole trick and it costs a sample pot. Five open bays take books, frames, a plant and a candle. Ugly Duckling House has the full build including how she opened up the wall.
2. DIY Side Table Small Bookshelf
Maximize functionality in a small space with this small bookshelf that doubles as a side table. The cool part about this piece is that it be turned either way so it’s a perfect addition to your bedroom or office space. You can even put it in between two narrow chairs. What a great project, indeed. For a cool DIY room decor idea, we are big fans of this unique DIY bookcase design.
3. Built In Bookcases With Cabinets
This is the project that makes a room look finished rather than furnished, and the reason it is attemptable is that the base is cabinets rather than custom joinery. Open shelves run up either side of the television with paneled doors below, so the clutter is hidden and only the things worth looking at are on show. Painted out in the same white as the trim, the whole wall reads as though it came with the house. The patterned wallpaper behind the TV is the detail that stops it feeling like a showroom. Home Stories A to Z has the full build.
4. Floor to Ceiling Billy Bookcase Built Ins
If you are going to hack a Billy, this is the version to copy. The bookcases run floor to ceiling with glass doors above and solid panels below, and the trim work is what does it: once the seams between units disappear, the whole thing stops reading as flat pack and starts reading as cabinetry. Sorting the books by color costs nothing and carries half the effect. It is a genuinely affordable route to a library wall in a room that never had one. Vintage Revivals has the full tutorial and the parts list.
5. DIY Stenciled Bookcase
Polka Dot Chair has done such a great job on this stenciled bookcase. I am a stencil novice so I’m not too sure if I can pull this off. However, reading about how easy they made it look gives me the inspiration to try stenciling for sure. Try this DIY stenciling idea to really get creative when it comes to furniture. Cool paint finishes are nice, but when you add a stenciled background, they really may a statement.
DIY Bookshelf for Kids
6. Easy DIY Playroom Stepped Crate Bookshelf
What a wonderful reading nook accentuated by a super practical crate bookshelf! It’s so simple to re-create, all you have to do is stack them together. Glad I stumbled upon this post. Create a reading space that is perfect storage for the kid’s books. These cheap DIY bookshelves are perfect for storing toys and books at kid level, so they can easily reach them to get them out and if you are lucky, put them away. DIY kids room decor is the way to go, and this crate book storage solution is one of my favorite ways to decorate a boys room or baby nursery. For a playroom decorating idea, this is also the way to go, for sure.
Cheap DIY Bookcase
7. Rustic Bookshelf from Crates and Pallet
This cute DIY crate and pallet bookcase from Jen at House of Wood is a pretty easy build, very cheap and gives a lot of rustic appeals. When it comes to building pallet bookcases, Jen definitely wins the award for my top pick. Pinterest has photos of this one, but she actually shows you how to build the infamous crate bookshelf you’ve probably seen on Pinterest more than a few times. Somehow, I imagine this one is sturdier than the shelf in that Pin, anyway. She also has this great tip to never use pallets and crates straight from a dumpster which I think is worth mentioning. Pro tip: Make sure the pallets are heat treated before using them.
8. DIY Scrap Wood House Shelf
Jen Woodhouse is back again with a quick and easy DIY project you can make out of that growing pile of scrap wood. Check out her instructions in building this DIY Scrap Wood House Shelf. Painting it pink is such an adorable idea and a perfect addition to a little girl’s room. For an easy woodworking project, this tiny book storage solution is a fun one to begin with. This is a neat DIY idea for teen boys to make and help decorate their rooms, both my 13 and 15 year old sons had no problem making these with Dads help.
9. Particle Board Bookcase Painted Faux Wood
This is the fix for the bookcase you already own and quietly dislike, the flat brown particle board one nobody would call furniture. Painted and grained, it comes back looking like light natural timber, which is a genuinely surprising result for a piece that cost almost nothing to begin with. The part worth paying attention to is the preparation, because particle board holds paint properly once it is ready and chips straight off when it is not. Styled with a couple of plants, nobody guesses what it started as. Salvaged Inspirations has the how-to.
10. Paint the Back with a Pattern
Jazz up your plain looking bookcase by painting some spots and sputnik at the back. Centsational Girl has a great technique in achieving the look by using a simple sponge. You can also try buying spotted wallpaper if you prefer that. It looks great to put up in an office or a study room. The pop of color adds a lively mood. Indeed, a great idea to renew a bookshelf.
11. Elegant and Classy Idea to Store your Books
Want an elegant way to display books in your house or apartment? Whether you live in a dorm room, a rent a condo or own a home, this stylish paper backed bookshelf will certainly add to your decor if you are going for a sophisticated, worldly look that almost always makes a good impression. Far from boring, this patterned back is easy to add to your existing bookcase or you can pick one up at a thrift store or garage sale, too. Add some paint and paper, and voila, style your room away.
Bookshelf Ideas for Girls
12. Girly Bookcase Makeover
When it comes to cute decor ideas for girls rooms, this wallpaper backed bookshelf is a must. Match your shelf to her room with a coordinating piece of paper or even fabric for an adorable idea you and your daughter can both love. You need not have kids, of course, to make this book storage idea. I love this look for any girly room, and really, you can do the same thing with manly prints. Projects made with paper backs like this are trending on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram right now because they are super easy to make and look amazing, in real life and in those photos you just might need to post once you see how cute this homemade bookshelf idea is in person.
15. Leaning Crate Bookshelf and Desk
Crates are the shortcut here. They arrive square and already assembled, which takes most of the joinery out of the job, so what is left is staining them and mounting them on two leaning rails. The whole unit rests against the wall rather than standing on a footprint, which is what makes it work in a small bedroom. The clever part is the fold out surface in the middle that turns it into a homework desk without adding another piece of furniture to the room. Crates can be moved or added as a child gets older. Her Tool Belt has the full plan.
18. Teal Playroom Bookcase Built Ins
Low is the right answer in a kids room, and this run of teal built ins is a good argument for it. Everything sits where a child can actually reach it, the wood top pulls four separate units into one continuous piece, and the wall above stays free for artwork instead of disappearing behind shelving. The color choice is what carries it, because teal reads as playful without tipping into babyish, so the room will not need redoing in three years. The framed storybook pages above are a nice touch. Bless’er House has the whole build.
22. Stenciled Ikea Bookcase Wall
Everyone knows you can line up flat pack bookcases along a wall. The part people skip is the trim, and the trim is what does the work. A run of moulding across the top and along the base, then paint over the whole thing in one color, and the joins between the individual units vanish. What is left looks like joinery. The stencil on the back panels is the second trick, done in a shade barely different from the paint so it reads as texture rather than pattern. Lovely Etc. has the full hack on the project page.
23. Black Chalk Painted Bookcase
This is the fix for the cheap laminate bookcase in the spare room. Chalk paint goes straight onto laminate with no sanding and no primer, which is the whole reason to use it here rather than a normal paint that would need both. Black covers the particle board edges better than any pale shade. The stencil on the side panel is what lifts it, and the side is worth the extra hour because it is the face you see first when a bookcase sits at the end of a run rather than against a wall. The Country Chic Cottage has the full tutorial.
