By Julie Finn
Tools + Supplies
Published on April 1st, 2014 |
by Julie Finn
0
Need a new bookshelf? IKEA is NOT the answer.
Turns out that a *new* bookshelf probably isn’t the answer, either, not when there are so many wonderful things to upcycle into bookshelves, and so many ways to decorate thrifted or freshly built bookshelves with upcycled components.
If you’re thinking about going bookshelf shopping, first put down your wallet and check out these ideas–you’re probably going to find the bones of your brand-new bookshelf project waiting right here:
1) Pallet bookshelves. Use wood pallets to make face-out bookshelves–just seal these REALLY well, okay? Sometimes wood pallets can be processed with nasty chemicals, and you don’t want that in your house.
2) Cardboard into bookshelves. Upcycle cardboard from the recycling bin into a beautiful bookshelf.
3) Decoupaged bookshelves. Give some personality to bland, mass market-looking bookshelves by decoupaging it with vintage papers.
4) Dresser into bookshelves. Turn a dresser into a bookshelf, and check out the super-clever wood glue stencil technique also in this tutorial.
5) Bi-fold door bookshelves. Bi-fold doors can be soooooo tacky, so it’s better to turn them all into bookshelves.
6) Box frame into bookshelves. Your old bed wants to be bookshelves.
7) Panel door bookshelves. Cutting a door in half makes two sides of VERY sturdy bookshelves.
8) Antique crates bookshelves. Boxes or crates are easy to stack into a bookshelf, and when you add casters, you can even make them mobile! But of course, even one crate makes a lovely bookshelf.
9) Suitcase corner bookshelves. An opened suitcase or trunk fits perfectly into a corner; add shelves to make it a corner bookshelf.
10) Old bookshelves into new bookshelves. Got the bones of an old bookshelf that looks ready for the landfill? Fix it up so that it looks new again!
11) Drawer bookshelves. Drawers stacked just right make good-looking bookshelves with clever shelves.
12) Book shelves. Old books become the base for floating bookshelves or hanging bookshelves.
13) Clock bookshelves. Turn a grandfather clock into a bookshelf.
14) Bricks bookshelves. Leftover bricks? That’s a bookshelf!
15) Picture frames into bookshelves. Use antique picture frames to front wall-mounted bookshelves.
16) Bed springs bookshelves. Wall-mounted bed springs can hold books!
17) Shutters into bookshelves. Use old shutters for the back and sides of a bookshelf.
18) Plant stand bookshelves. A fresh coat of paint turns a plant stand into a light and useful bookshelf.
19) Ladder bookshelves. Upcycle a wooden ladder into a wall-mounted bookshelf.
20) Repainted laminate bookshelves. Laminate furniture is sooooo ugly, but it’s cheap and readily available at every thrift shop. Here’s how to paint it to make it cute.
Know of any other excellent upcycled bookshelf tutorials? Link to them in the comments below.
Tags: bookshelf tutorial, crafting with recycled materials, crafty reuse, DIY bookshelf, drawer bookshelf, how-to, ladder bookshelf, upcycled bookshelf, upcycling, Vintage
About the Author
Julie Finn I’m a writer, crafter, Zombie Preparedness Planner, and homeschooling momma of two kids who will hopefully someday transition into using their genius for good, not the evil machinations and mess-making in which they currently indulge. I’m interested in recycling and nature crafts, food security, STEM education, and the DIY lifestyle, however it’s manifested–making myself some underwear out of T-shirts? Done it. Teaching myself guitar? Doing it right now.
Visit my blog Craft Knife for a peek at our very weird handmade homeschool life; my etsy shop Pumpkin+Bear for a truly odd number of rainbow-themed beeswax pretties; and my Google + for links to articles about poverty, educational politics, and this famous cat who lives in my neighborhood.
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Source: craftingagreenworld
3. Decoupage the bookshelf. We left the shelves themselves plain wood, but I wanted the ends of the bookshelf, one of which would probably face out into the pantry, to be more decorative, so I gave the kids a stack of old, ripped-and-beaten-up children’s encyclopedias, scissors, Mod Podge, and paintbrushes, and they cut out illustrations that they liked and decoupaged them to the shelf ends (decoupage is a pretty standard furniture makeover strategy). The kids wanted to use comic books like we did with their decoupaged building blocks, but I was worried that comic book images would be scary to some of the littler kids; the beat-up vintage children’s encyclopedia was neutral ground.
