Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Build A Bookshelf

Today we’re going to show you how we built the bookshelves in our son’s room. It’s an easy project that we’ve since used to create custom shelving everywhere from our living room to our beach house pantry. But these bedroom shelves were our very first attempt at them and we absolutely loved how they turned out.

Boys bedroom with built-in bookshelves on either side of the bed,

This tutorial specifically focuses on building the actual shelves, aka the top portion of these built-ins. You can separately read about how we first built-in the cabinet bases (it’s an Ikea hack!) and later finished them off with crown molding. But since not every bookshelf needs those features, we’re talking just about the shelving today.

Four steps to DIY build-in bookshelves

You also can take a tour of the finished room both in it’s initial version as our son’s nursery and then later when we updated it with a big boy bed.

Tools & Materials To Build A Bookshelf

Floor to ceiling built-in bookshelf in boys bedroom

Here are the supplies and tools you’ll need to build your bookshelf. If you don’t have a table saw or circular saw, try renting one from your local home improvement store. Some stores will also cut your wood for you, but this is a project where you’ll really like having one around.

The exact amount of wood you’ll need depends on the specs of your bookshelf build. That’s why the first step is so important!

Step 1: Plan Your Build

Start by measuring your space and sketching out your bookshelf on paper. This will help you figure out how material you may need. You can still adjust as you build (like you might change your shelf spacing as you go) but always take time upfront to make a plan. For us, this made sure we bought enough – but not too much! – plywood for our shelving. You can see below how figuring out exactly how to maximize a 4×8′ sheet of plywood was almost like a puzzle.

Drawing of plywood cuts to get shelves for bookshelf

NOTE: We used plywood for this build to better match the subtle wood grain in the base cabinets. However, for a smooth, painted finish we recommend using MDF instead.

Step 2: Cut Your Shelf Pieces

The first building step is to cut your plywood or MDF into the big shelves and side pieces. You can do this with a table saw or circular saw, like you see below. That photo is actually from our pantry shelf project because we got our plywood cut in-store for these bedroom bookshelves. The Home Depot guy ripped my plywood into 11″ strips after seeing my sketch, which was a huge help. He was able to lock his big saw into place to ensure I got equal and even cuts on all of my shelves.

Man cutting MDF using a circular saw

If you are cutting at home, I recommend careful measuring and taking your time. You can also see above that I had clamped two pieces of MDF together so that I could make two cuts at once to ensure the shelves matched.

Step 3: Prime & Paint Your Shelves

We find it easier to paint all of our big pieces BEFORE installing them. It’s typically easier to paint flat surfaces with a roller when you don’t have to worry about edging against walls or cutting in to corners. You will still need to do some touch-ups after building, but this saved us a lot of time.

Painted pieces of homemade DIY bookshelf

Just be sure to prime the pieces first, especially if you’re starting with raw plywood or MDF. The color we used was Benjamin Moore Senora Gray.

Step 4: Build Your Bookshelf Frame

One our paint was fully dry, we began construction by securing one of the tall side pieces directly into the wall. We used a stud finder to locate studs and attached the piece with countersinking screws that we could putty over later.

Man attaching side piece of bookshelf attached to a wall

Attaching the next side piece was a bit more involved since I wasn’t screwing directly into a wall. I knew it would become sturdy once I added my shelving, so the challenge was to keep it in place in the meantime.

To do that, I attached a 1×3″ brace piece along the top of the back wall into a couple of studs. This piece wouldn’t be visible in the final bookshelf, but it gave me a place to screw the vertical side piece into. An alternative plan would’ve been to purchase a large piece of MDF or plywood to act as a solid back behind the bookshelf. We opted to just use the wall itself instead, mostly to cut down on cost.

Man screwing into the side of a homemade DIY bookshelf

I also add a 1×6″ brace piece across the front of the bookshelves to help keep things square. I hadn’t planned on this piece originally, which is why it’s not painted.

Man adding trim piece at the top of custom bookshelf

You can also see some pieces at the bottom helping to keep things square down by the base of the bookcase. These were cut to the same length as the eventual shelves just laid there temporarily.

Step 5: Add Your Shelves

With the sides in place, we turned our attention to the shelves. First we needed to finalize our shelf spacing, so we broke out a ruler and some painter’s tape to help visualize spacing options. Ultimately we ended up with evenly spaced 10″ shelves with a little bit of extra room at the bottom. Just be sure to account for the 1.5″ width of the shelves themselves, as represented by our painter’s tape.

Measurements of shelf spacing for DIY bookshelf

Next it was time to attach the shelf supports. These are thin strips of wood under each shelf on 3 sides. I cut these pieces by ripping a 1 x 3″ along my table saw into .75″ wide pieces. This will make more sense in a moment, but any thicker than that and the supports would be visible below the face pieces added later to the front of each shelf.

Man using level to nail in shelf support pieces

I first nailed the braces into the wall and the sides being sure to keep things level as I went. This was just a speedy way to get everything in the right place. Then I went back and screwed each piece more securely into a stud (along the back) and into the wood (along the sides). This enables the shelves to bear more weight over time.

Once all of the support pieces were screwed in, it was easy to pop the plywood shelf pieces into place. After all, we’d already cut, primed, and painted them!

Shelves placed during build of DIY bookshelf

I also nailed each shelf down into the brace piece so they won’t pop out or jiggle or anything.

Step 6: Finish With Face Pieces

The next step is my favorite because it makes the bookshelf look way more finished. We cut and nailed in 1×2″ pine pieces (already primed and painted) to cover all the exposed edges along the front of the shelves. This not only hides the raw edges, but also makes your shelves look thicker than they actually are! This is also why you want those support pieces cut thinner in the previous step.

Man nailing trim pieces on the face of DIY bookshelf

You can also see before this step I had done some painting – both the back wall and the brace piece at the top. I also had done some caulking, but you can do this as a final step as well.

Step 7: Caulk & Touch-Up Paint

Once everything is constructed, you’ll want to caulk your seams, fill any nail holes, and do any necessary touch-up paint. The caulking will take some time, since you’ll want to caulk any place two surfaces meet: shelf meets wall, wall meets support piece, support piece meets shelf, etc. We did a little bit of this as we went, especially to fill gaps where our wall wasn’t very flat.

Man caulking under shelf of built in bookshelf

Once your caulk is dry, you’ll need to do touch-up paint over it. This may feel tedious because you already painted, but I promise you this is much faster to do quick touch-ups than be painting from scratch at this point.

Step 8: Add Crown Molding (Optional)

For our bookshelves, we decided to finish off the top with crown molding that integrated with the crown we’d put installing around the whole room. We would be using a “beefy crown” method we’d tried first in our daughter’s room. It’s involved putting a piece of baseboard around the top of the room first, to make the crown look thicker.

Hand holding crown molding piece in place on DIY bookshelf

You can read more about the process of installing crown molding in this room.

Top of Build Bookshelf with crown molding

We love how these bookshelves turned out, especially how easy and affordable they were to create – they were about $60 each. And that includes all of the material for the bottoms too! They’ve also been great for both functional storage and cute display items.

Boys Bedroom With Custom Bookshelves And Reading Chair

Again, you can read more about how we finished this room in its first iteration as his nursery, and then a few years later as a big boy room.

More DIY Shelving Projects

If you’d like more DIY shelving ideas, we wrote a roundup of 15+ shelf projects you can build yourself. You can even see how we used a similar technique shown here to create kitchen pantry shelving!

Grid of Six Favorite DIY Shelf Ideas

P.S. And when it comes to the items in our house, we hear “where’d you get that?!” a lot – so here’s a page full of our home’s paint colors & stuff we’ve bought/loved. 

*This post contains affiliate links*

Comments

  3. Nicole L says

    Wow, those look fantastic! I’d actually attempt something like this thanks to your step-by-step on this project!

    Reply

  6. Ashley M says

    Those are so awesome!! Y’all did such a good job! And I’m sorry people ask such dumb questions, storage overkill for a baby really?! I mean is there such a thing as too much storage?! No way! Can’t wait to see how the rest of the room comes together it will no doubt be amazing!!

    Reply

  7. Jenny says

    Wow, these look amazing! I was having a hard time seeing it at first, especially with the wider base drawer on the Ikea units, but you’ve done a super job with these — great vision! I love the idea of that much storage, and built in. And am eager to see how the decorating rounds things out. Nice work!

    Reply

  8. Blair R says

    Did you have to do any sanding to the wood before painting and installing? We bought a piece of plywood (not the same one you did) for our laundry counter, and I hate it. Despite sanding it FOREVER it’s still not smooth. I think we bought the wrong kind. So, I was wondering if a lot of sanding if any was involved with this brand of plywood?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      This plywood was really smooth, so the fronts and backs were ready to prime/paint and I just sanded some of the edges if they were especially splintery after being cut, (John then faced those edges with wood trim anyway, so it looks nice and smooth now).

      xo
      s

  9. Laura says

    I am loving the built-ins….the color of them is so rich and with the stained tops and dark hardware…awesome! I don’t think you can ever have too much storage for kids! It’s not like all of the drawers have to be clothing….it could be extra blankets or burp rags or even books and toys! (etc) And, lastly but definitely not most importantly….after reading that whole post about your awesome built-ins….people are commenting on John not wearing shoes?! I didn’t even notice. Sheesh.

    Reply

  12. Shannon says

    I’m freaking out here! I love the built-ins!So much!!
    OK now…what are your thoughts for a light fixture? I’m just dying to know.

    Reply

  14. Teri says

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Love the color and the crown moulding! All of it! You guys come up with the coolest stuff! We have unfinished small IKEA dressers in our master bedroom that we are using as nightstands. I was just going to paint them, but I think I might try staining the top and painting the bottom. Thanks for the constant inspiration!!!

    Reply

  16. Diane says

    I just have to add my voice to all the compliments for the bookcases. They are really wonderful. John what a great piece of furniture you created. How great to share this with the new little guy…all the love that went into his room is something to be proud of.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks so much Diane, that’s really sweet of you to say. I’m grateful to have been able to make him something that I hope he will use for a nice long time. My grandfather (and father) both built stuff growing up and I never could have guessed I’d learn how to someday.

      -John

  17. melissa says

    Who in their right mind would ever ask if something provided “too much storage?” There is no such thing! These look amazing — I can’t wait to see the whole room come together!

    Reply

  19. Evelina says

    Just wanted to drop in on the comment section to say that I LOVE the title of this post. Ok, now I will carry on with reading the rest of the post! Thanks!

    Reply

  20. Isabel says

    Looks fantastic, hats off to you John! I know you guys said that this color scheme here for a white ceiling but since the color of the built-ins came out lighter than expected (which I think works really nicely btw) have you reconsidered painting the ceiling? I’m sure once you paint the closet door and add all the decor elements it may not even need it, but since my husband is anti-ceiling painting (I’m working on it as hard as I can!), I live my painted-ceiling-life vicariously through you :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Never even thought about that! I definitely think if the room comes together and we think a light tone or even a soft accent color on the ceiling would make sense we could add that into the mix. I think I’m most excited about the colorful closet door and some art on those walls, so we’ll have to see if those add enough punch to make the white ceiling just fine with the white molding and trim (so it all sort of falls back and lets other things be the star).

      xo
      s

  21. Cindy says

    I love the built-ins and can’t wait to see how you style them. You mentioned maybe painting the crib drawer becasue it clashes (and I agree), but I’m wondering why or if you even need it?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That has been awesome for tucking bedding stuff in it, so it’s right there with the crib. If we took it out we’d just have drawer slides and a random space so I’m not sure it would look finished, but I can check it out! Definitely another option. Thanks for the idea!

      xo
      s

  22. Kimberly | Turning It Home says

    $60 is an insane price for a beautiful bookshelf, well done! Also major props to thinking for the future with the width between the built-ins. My mind has a hard time functioning like that which makes me want to say, “I can’t think in terms of time and stuff…” (even more kudos if you guys know about the #rooftopbreakup).

    Reply

  23. Kelli says

    So gorgeous!!! They are indeed studly and I have a major crush! Whoever says the curse words ‘storage overload’ clearly doesn’t have kids! Lol

    The crib drawer painted green has my vote!

    I think this nursery is gonna be so nice :)

    Reply

  24. Sara Rose says

    I am in love! Those look AMAZING! You guys are just rock stars! Everything you do, I want to do! …only, I don’t have the skills! :P But you definitely inspire me to develop them! :)

    Reply

  25. Kelli says

    I have to comment in the beard!! Each time I’ve been pregnant (just had our second also a boy and he’s almost 3 months) my husband wants to grow a beard and walk around grunting as if saying, “I am man, I am fertile and manly!” Haha

    Reply

  26. Kim a says

    “Too much storage” ?!?! Who says such a thing when talking about little ones!? There is no such thing and they have turned out fantastic!! Good work!

    Reply

  27. Bill in NH says

    Nice job on the built-ins, John.

    Ever consider getting your own pick-up? I find my four door Tacoma family friendly and very convenient. Actually it’s really not my truck, it belongs to my Rat Terrier, Biscuit.

    Bill

    PS I am on the edge of my chair waiting to hear about the replacement washer.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have definitely thought about it! Right now it doesn’t make sense financially (we’d spend far more buying and insuring a truck than we do on $19 rentals, which we might use 6 times a year for a grand total of $120) but we’d love to eventually sell our current car for something slightly larger with a hitch. That way we can get a trailer and have lots of haul power :)

      xo
      s

  29. GreenInOC says

    I’m a little confused (I know, not surprising!), about the color of the crown molding.

    With the picture of the crown matching the bookcases, “…we just pictured a white stripe at the top and bottom of them looking funny…”

    Then toward the end under Sherry’s Random Thoughts, ““The white of the crib looks pretty out of place right now, but I think once we add white crown around the room…”

    I’m truly astounded by their cost – they look like they could have easily each cost 10x that! They were a lot of work (all the cutting out of the baseboards), and so thoughtful too – amazing job for Little Barnie!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry! The white crown will go around the rest of the room, just like the white baseboards and trim that go around the rest of the room already! So just the crown on the built-ins will be the color of those, and the rest will be white :)

      xo
      s

  30. Kathy says

    I was a little worried until I saw the dimensions that the Barnacle would never be able to put binder-sized things on his shelves! Yay for the spacious bottom shelf.

    Reply

  31. Julie says

    Storage overkill! Ha! There can never be too much of that. These look really great. I liked having a little night light in with my baby’s room so I could change their diapers and feed them in the low light and not freak his or my eyes out in the dark of the night. I kept it on the changing table. I loved it so much and it came in handy with several children! Sherry would have loved it, it was a glossy white ceramic mouse.

    Reply

  35. Barbarea says

    Apparently I missed the “John Grows a Beard” episode! Sherry, I need to borrow him for a while – I have shelving needs of my own!

    Reply

  36. Kate C says

    In my opinion, there’s no such thing as over abundant storage in a baby room. There’s decorations and toys for the shelves, blankets, clothes, bedding, diapers,and maybe even more toys that will end up in the drawers. Having this much storage space is just plain smart.

    Reply

  37. Brittany says

    The built-ins look great! I’m so excited to follow along as you two put this room together!
    We’re having our first baby (yippee!) and I was looking at the same crib you have. I really appreciated your post about finding the right crib so was wondering if you could give a quick update on how you’ve liked it? Is having the storage drawer useful? Quality after use from one kiddo? Would you recommend it? Thank you!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we have been really happy with our crib! It’s still going strong (and Clara used it much longer than the average kiddo, and it moved with us and wore well). The drawer’s definitely handy too (we kept crib bedding and snowsuits in there, how’s that for random?).

      xo
      s

    • Karla says

      We have the same crib and we love it!!! Our son is 2 and we are considering converting it to a toddler bed soon. I love the drawer. It has a divider in it, which is nice. We have extra sheets and unopened wipes on one side, and we just lined up his shoes on the other side. I love the look of it and it is holding up incredibly well. We actually got it at Walmart.com. Good luck and Congrats on your little one! We’re hoping to adopt again soon, so hopefully we will have experience passing our crib down before we convert it! :)

  38. Alyssa says

    These look great! Can’t wait to see the room come together more. I love how you prioritize the kiddos’ rooms so they can feel at home.

    Reply

  39. Angela says

    Love how the nursery is coming together!

    One comment on your moodboard though: I know the little pull toy crocodile is super cute BUT…it is super loud. My son is in Kindergarden and they had that particular toy there. In a room full of 15 screaming/laughing/talking toddlers, you could still hear the crocodile clacking away drowning out all the other noises. That should give you an idea how loud it is. They eventually removed the toy because they couldn’t take it anymore.

    I know that the new baby won’t stroll around the house with the crocodile in tow anytime soon, but once he starts you’ll regret ever buying that thing. I think HAPE has a pull toy in the shape of a crocodile that is not as loud. You might want to check that out.

    Greetings from Vienna, Austria

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Angela! We actually have the alligator (he’s Clara’s) and you’re right! He does make quite a racket! Might have to keep him up on the shelf for a while…

      xo
      s

  40. Cassie says

    Is there such a thing as too much storage?! I think you guys are smart to think ahead! Who cares if some of those drawers are empty for a little while? These look SO SO good! Awesome work!

    Reply

  41. Ashley says

    Gorgeous!!! It always cracks me up that you have to rent a truck! We live in the sticks and have 4-5 trucks. Between farming and snow, you have to have a truck here! Have you thought about trading for a small truck? We had an 08 Tacoma that got great gas mileage and was very comfortable for our family of 4. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have definitely thought about it! Right now it doesn’t make sense financially (we’d spend far more buying and insuring a truck than we do on $19 rentals, which we might use 6 times a year for a grand total of $120) but we’d love to eventually sell our current car for something slightly larger with a hitch. That way we can get a trailer and have lots of haul power :)

      xo
      s

  42. Whitney says

    I love these. I’m also amused by John’s nerdy look. Math + glasses. :)
    My cousin (aka my southern sister) just had a little boy 6 weeks early so we are all in nursery overdrive now while he is incubating in the NICU. These posts have been extremely helpful.

    Reply

  44. Katy C says

    These are amazing!!! You guys should be proud! I want these in every room of my house :) oh and there is no such thing as too much storage in a child’s room!

    Reply

  45. Carla says

    Very handsome looking. Re: place to change diapers… I never had a changing table. When the baby was little the mattress was high; I just put the cribside down, plopped a felt changing pad on the mattress and changed there. It had the added benefit of the baby facing an easier direction with their feet closest to you (I’ve never understood changing stations where you have to change the baby sideways). If you chose to do this you could put changing supplies on/in one of the built-ins. I also found that once babies were mobile all diaper changes happened on the floor and I just threw a receiving blanket on the floor.

    Reply

  47. julianna says

    Congrats on crossing another big item off your to-do list. I’m a little confused — I had assumed you’d do the wiring for the sconces before installing the built-ins. Won’t it be messier and more complicated to fish the wires through the walls with the built-ins already in place? Or have you changed your minds about installing sconces?

    p.s. I tried to post this earlier, but got an error message. If this is a duplicate, please delete!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Good question! Now we’re thinking of adding them to the back wall (above where the eventual twin sized bed will go, like reading sconces that you see above beds) so the wiring will just drop down from the attic and pop out for those two sconces without interfering with the cabinet :)

      xo
      s

  48. JessicaL says

    Love it! And yes, the first thing I thought when I saw the drawer under the crib was “paint that green!!!” Good job…hahaha, too funny about all of the shoe scolding posts, you guys can’t get away with anything!

    Reply

  49. Kira K. says

    I love how well this room is coming together, it looks truly amazing so far. I always look forward to your posts to catch up on the latest progress. I am so impressed with the built ins, they look fabulous. Great job!

    We close on our first house next week and you have totally inspired my hubby and I to get started sprucing up the place. Can’t wait to get the keys in hand!!

    Reply

  50. Wrenaria says

    Looking pretty! Beautiful work on those built ins, John! Like Sherry, I am excited to bring in the color, and green is one of my favorites.

    I have that striped basket in your mood board image. I bought it to carry clean laundry from the dryer to my room. It’s pretty enough that I don’t mind it sitting on our dresser empty during the week, which is a plus since my rental is short on storage. It’s a good quality basket. :)

    Reply

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