Turn A Piece Of Scrap Wood Into A Stylish Bookshelf With This Easy DIY

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Whether you love to get lost in the plot of a good book or just have a lot of impressive-looking books that you want to display, finding the perfect spot to hold those tomes isn't always easy. Mass-produced bookshelves often lack personality, and large freestanding bookcases take up a lot of floor space. Sandy Johnson, the creator behind @whimsybarn, came up with a clever sloped bookshelf idea to display a small collection of books. And she does it using materials that also tell a story. The main item you'll need is a piece of reclaimed wood — the more knots and knicks, the better. 

With three simple pieces of wood, you end up with a slightly slanted wooden display that draws attention to the books and acts a bit like a piece of decor. Since the main shelf portion sits at a slight angle, the books rest against the stopper piece at the end and won't fall off or tip over. You control the size of the mini bookshelf, so you can adjust the dimensions to fit your space.

You'll need to make two cuts on the board — you can use a circular saw to make the straight cuts quickly, but you can also use a hand saw for the job. To assemble the shelf, you'll also need some wood glue — Gorilla Wood Glue is one option — and some nails for additional reinforcement. This project is easy to customize based on the finishes and embellishments you choose.

One long board is enough to make the shelf. You'll cut one short piece off of it to make the leg that elevates one end and creates the slant. A few inches works well — you can adjust the size based on how steep of a slope you want. You'll also cut a larger piece for the other end to serve as the bookend. This one should be longer than your leg piece to keep books from tipping over the top, but the specific height depends on your preference and how tall the books that you might store there are. Then, use wood glue and nails to secure the shorter piece to the bottom of the main plank and the medium-sized piece to the top of the main plank at the opposite end. It should loosely resemble a "Z" shape.

If you're looking for book storage ideas that will work for any style, this project is it. To fit a rustic vibe, choose an old piece of reclaimed barn wood and age it more to get the look you want. For a more modern, minimalist approach, sand the board smooth, and paint the wood a glossy white or black color.

Place the shelf anywhere you want to store books, like your kitchen countertop for cookbook storage or the top of your dresser if you like to read in bed. This project also works if you're looking for office storage ideas to declutter your workspace. Stack your manuals, reference materials, or binders on the shelf, and place it on your desktop for easy access.