Skip Baskets: This Dollar Tree DIY Turns Drawers Into Beautiful Faux Book Storage Bins

If your "To Be Read" list is longer than your "To Do" list and you're a top contributor on Goodreads, your inner bibliophile will absolutely love this DIY storage container. It comes from the creator behind The Daily DIYer, and each organizer looks like an adorable book resting on your shelf. Even better, the structure of the faux book is an Essentials Clear Plastic Organizer Drawer from Dollar Tree — that means each book framework costs just $1.50. And at roughly 5 inches by 5 inches by 1.75 inches, the container fits neatly on most shelves, mantels, or tabletops without taking up too much space. They're much slimmer than bulky baskets.

The book design from the original is available as a free printable, so you can create a whole library full of these bookish storage containers for very little. You simply print it off, glue it to the container, and trim the excess. Of course, you can personalize the books with your own materials. Or, design a custom cover on Canva to print and glue to the plastic bin. Creating your own version lets you choose your favorite book titles or incorporate family members' names or inside jokes into the made-up books you display.

Imagine sprinkling these small storage containers throughout your book collection to hold your highlighters, sticky notes, fine-tip pens, page flags, and other book-annotation supplies. Or, use them to hide your remotes, charging cords, or other small items. They even make creative office storage ideas to declutter your workspace.

Grab one of the Essentials drawers for each book you want to make — and immediately pull out the actual drawer. You won't use that part (but you can tuck it inside a bathroom or kitchen drawer to use as an organizer). Instead, the outer plastic portion becomes your book cover. You'll position the open side to the top, so you can place items inside the storage bin.

Next, create your cover art. This is where your creativity comes in if you don't want to glue the printable cover onto the plastic. Old books make great decor, so you could remove the pages from a book that's slightly larger than the plastic bin and glue the cover around the container. To recreate the look of a classic leatherbound novel, glue faux leather around three sides (two large sides and one narrow side). Cut a second contrasting piece to create a spine and glue it in place. Contact paper is another cover option if you want a slightly textured and patterned book cover. Or, decoupage a pretty patterned napkin or fabric around the cover. Then, use vinyl cutouts, wooden letters, or paint to add the book title, author, and graphics.

No matter how you create the cover, adding extra details pushes the book storage bins over the edge. Glue on faux flowers, ribbons, or other three-dimensional objects if desired. You can also glue a ribbon to the inside of the container and drape it outside over the spine to look like a bookmark. Pair these book storage containers with creative small home library ideas to maximize space while amplifying creative beauty.