How to Build A DIY Bookshelf
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Here’s how to build your dream built in bookshelf on a budget.
We’ve all imagined our dream built in bookshelf, and for many it has always seemed just that - a dream.
This post is for other people like me, who simply don’t have the thousands of pounds needed to commission custom made shelves, or the carpentry expertise to do it yourself. You too can have your dream bookshelf; all you need is patience, a can-do attitude and a small amount of money.
DIY Bookshelf Shopping List
Flat packed bookshelves, such as the Ikea Billy Bookcase
Crown molding/skirting (optional)
Wood paint of your choice
How to Build A DIY Bookshelf
This post explains how you can customise a ready made bookshelf, in order to look like a built in unit. Personally I used products from Ikea’s Billy Bookcase range, but you can choose any kind of inexpensive flat packed furniture for this project.
This DIY is a useful project that will not only add character to your home, but will also upgrade your storage options and elevate your space.
What Are Other Uses Of Bookshelves?
Outside of their primary use, storing books, bookshelves are a very versatile piece of furniture with lots of possible uses in all parts of the home.
For example, a bookshelf can provide useful storage for a home office, or a way to organise toys in a child’s playroom. Custom bookshelves can also form a striking media centre for the living room, with space to mount a television and hide away any unsightly accessories.
I’ve even seen people use the Ikea Kallax bookshelf as a room divider, which is an excellent hack for anyone who wants to divide a large room. This could work well for siblings who share a bedroom, or young adults who are renting a room in a shared house.
How To DIY A Bookshelf
Step One: Measure your space
Before you make any purchases, it’s important to get a good understanding of the space that you want to fill. Make sure you measure the height, width and depth of the space.
Step Two: choose Your Materials
The materials that you choose are largely going to revolve around your budget and skill level. If you’re feeling confident, then you may wish to build the shelves from scratch, and order in the raw materials needed to construct your bookshelf.
If, like me, your DIY skills are very limited, then you can instead purchase a few ready made pieces of furniture to customise. As you can see below, I opted for three flat packed Ikea units that I could turn into my dream built in bookshelf.
I used three large Billy Bookcase, with additional extender units to fill the gap between the bookshelf and the ceilings
Step Three: Fasten shelves to the wall securely
Regardless of the method you choose for building your shelves, it’s important to ensure they are fixed securely to the wall. Lots of furniture will come with fittings for you to do this, including any Ikea pieces.
Bear in mind that once you fix your shelves to the wall it becomes a lot harder to move them around, so make sure you that you have them arranged in a way that works for you.
Step Four: Add Customisation
You’ve reached the most exciting bit - customisation! This is when your shelves will really begin to come to life.
After building my flat packed bookshelves and securing them to the wall, we set about attaching additional pieces of MDF to make the shelves look built in. I was even able to order the exact sizes that I needed online, so I wouldn’t need to measure and cut the pieces myself.
We also planned to attach further pieces of PDF to the top and bottom of the shelves, but after assembling, I decided that I’m happy with it as it is for now.
There are SO many customisation options, the only limit is your imagination.
Step Five: Choose Your Finish
The final stage in any DIY project, you need to decide on a finish to bring it all together. This can be really simple, and involve sanding the shelves before applying a few coats of paint. Some people may want to stain their shelves or decorate with a hand painted mural.
The key point here is to make sure that the materials you use are suitable for the type of shelf you are building. For example, ensuring that the paint you use is designed to be applied to wood.
What Is A Billy Bookshelf?
This popular Ikea bookshelf is a versatile piece of furniture that has sold more than 140 million units around the world.
One of the best things about the Billy Bookshelf is that it comes in so many shapes, sizes and colours depending on your preference. They’re also available at a very affordable price point, making them accessible for a lot of people.
For me, I knew that this type of bookshelf was easy to build and customise, and would provide me with an inexpensive base that I could develop. Other types of furniture are available, of course, and it’s worth looking around to find the best flat packed shelf for your project.
How To Make A Billy Bookshelf Look Built In
It’s actually a lot easier than you might think. Once you’ve built the Billy Bookshelf itself, all you need to do is decide how to customise it into something that looks built in.
Here are some ideas.
Vertical Trim
Something that I did for my own bookshelf, vertical pieces of MDF can be used to make them look like a single unit that’s attached to the wall.
I achieved this by using two pre-cut pieces of MDF to join the three Billy bookshelves together, with an additional, smaller piece connecting the far edges of the shelves to the wall. These can be connected either using nails or wood glue.
We cut a hole in the back of the bookshelf to allow access to the plug socket behind it.
Baseboards
Similar to trim, baseboards or skirting are a decorative feature that runs along the lower end of the wall. You may wish to add skirting to your bookshelf as a way to make it look more built in.
Crown Molding
This type of decorative trim is used to line the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. You may wish to install trim all around the ceiling, or just along the top of the bookshelf.
You can even buy specialist molding that has been designed to clip onto the top of a Billy Bookcase - see this example on Etsy.
Use Filler to Close Gaps and Holes
Something you’ll notice about the Billy Bookshelf is that the insides tend to be lined with lots of little holes. These are mostly unnoticeable once filled with books, and allow people to easily change the height of their shelves.
In order to achieve a built in look, you’ll want to fill these holes. I used a simple tube of wood filler and filled each hole manually. It’s a lengthy process but is well worth doing, and will give you a better finish once you apply paint.
Apply paint
You’ve finally reached the most exciting stage, painting!
Start by preparing the shelves by cleaning off any dirt or dust and lightly sanding the wood. Then you can proceed with the base coat, which is usually white, before applying two or more coats of coloured paint.
This took me a lot longer than I thought it would, so be prepared and take your time to do it right. I recommend purchasing a range of paintbrushes and rollers, as well as frog tape to protect the ceiling and walls.
My paint job isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely good enough!
Thank you for reading this post and good luck with your own DIY bookshelf project.