Hey guys! My name’s Sarah, and this is my Top 5 DIY, Bookshelves! Twice a week I’ll help you sort through the endless stream of maker videos, and help you find the very best of the best for your next build!
#5 Handmade Haven
Let’s get started with #5!…Ashley from Handmade Haven shared how she made this super simple DIY ladder bookshelf. This project is perfect for the beginner woodworking who is looking for an easy, functional piece of furniture that they made to add to their home, or gift to someone. All you need are some 2×2’s, hinges, paint and some pine for the shelves. That’s it!
She used pocket holes for the joinery but if you don’t have a pocket hole jig you can use some wood glue and just screw it together. This is simple and if you are new to woodworking and want a fun project to get you started you should check this out!
#4 The Rehab Life
The Rehab Life is #4 with this mid-century modern bookcase. I like this one a lot. Even though this is a larger bookshelf it is still a pretty simple build that only requires a couple of tools to accomplish. Liz built this in four different segments, two matching segments for the top and bottom, and two matching segments for the sides.
Once she had the four different segments done she laid them all out on the floor, pushed them together, then secured them. Next, she added some trim around the entire front of the bookcase which really made it look complete. After adding some stain and feet this project was done!
#3 Shaun Boyd
Next Up is #3. Shaun Boyd made a little plywood bookcase with finger joints. This build is a little more complex than the previous two, but with any build, there is ,as Shaun puts it, “a give and take”
You can make a project as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Using plywood and a couple of power tools Shaun was able to incorporate a few different woodworking techniques into his project.
He used the table saw to make finger joints, and he used his router to cut mortise and tenon joints for the shelves. I really like that you cannot see the joinery for the shelves, it gives this a really clean look but with the finger joints, there is still plenty of character.
#2 Ana White
# 2 is…Ana White! She and her husband built these DIY shelves for $30 dollars apiece! Ana had space in her home where she wanted more storage but not something that took up a lot of space. So she came up with this design! She used 2×2’s for the frames, 1×12’s for the shelves and top and a ¼” piece of plywood for the decorative back that doubles as some reinforcement.
I love watching her walk through her thought process out loud as she is building things, it makes me feel normal that when Rob and I are building stuff we do the same. Turns out we aren’t crazy! Anyway, If you are looking for a cheap way to make some large shelves check out this project!
#1 Home Made Modern
Coming in at #1 is Home Made Modern with this crazy simple build that looks absolutely amazing! How simple is crazy simple? Look at this! Ben started off with some pre-cut angle iron from his local home improvement store, he measured where the shelves will be and drilled holes into the iron. Next he took 2×10’s and cut down to 4 ft pieces for the shelves.
Using some fir balusters he screwed those to the bottom of the shelves for extra support. All that was left was to nail the iron to the shelves through the pre-drilled holes and add the danish oil finish! Vala! This DIY bookshelf is complete and only cost him around $70 for materials! Well done Ben!
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