DIY Bookshelf: Creation Process, Materials and Tools

A piece of furniture made by myself is my bookshelf. It is large enough to hold all my books and is aesthetically pleasing and fashionable. The design style is a bit postmodern futuristic, featuring a curved shape. It looks like part of the wall or as if it emerged from the wall.
The production process is relatively simple and doesn’t require too much work, but there are still requirements for precision. The size of the bookshelf can be determined by yourself. My bookshelf is approximately 2 meters wide and 2.7 meters high. Eight layers of shelves are divided into 16 spaces. Of course, the width can be adjusted according to your preference, and so can the shape. It doesn’t have to be the futuristic curved shape. Just let your imagination run wild.


Materials needed for a self-made bookshelf:


1. Wood


2. Three boards of 2700*120*18


3. At least two to three pieces of 2700*1400*18 cardboard (personally, plywood is recommended)


4. Three extra-long screws with spirals


5. Paint and varnish


Tools needed for a self-made bookshelf:


1. Vertical saw


2. Drilling machine


This design is more stable than traditional bookshelves. It is firmly fixed to the wall and not easily movable. Although there are only three screws, they can support the entire bookshelf and have no impact on the aesthetics of the wall.


Step 1: Making the vertical panel frame


First, cut the shape of the wooden boards, including vertical and horizontal lines.


The three vertical wooden boards must be of the same size. The shelves can be placed as you like. They can be large or small. A large one can hold two thick classic masterpieces and photo albums. These only require some changes in length and width.


The trick lies in cutting out beautiful arcs. The horizontal wooden boards are basically straight, but are cut into a curved shape 40 centimeters from the end.


Step 2: Cutting and scribing


The most complex step in the whole process is to accurately saw the notches where the horizontal and vertical frames fit. Cut three notches on each horizontal board. As shown in the figure, one in the center and two 20 centimeters from both ends. Cut the notches on the vertical boards according to your needs, as it directly determines the size of the grid space. Adjust the position of the incisions according to the size of your books.


You can refer to my data: for the layer where photo albums are placed, the distances between two notches are 33 centimeters, 30 centimeters, and 26 centimeters in sequence.


Measure accurately, make marks, and then make the incisions. If the measurement is not accurate enough, the bookshelf will not be balanced.


All incisions should be 18 millimeters wide so that the wooden boards can be inserted.


As for the depth of the incisions, that’s where the trick lies.


The vertical boards are curved, so not all notches can be cut to the same depth. I suggest that the notch depth be 1/2 less than the average width. For example, if the width is 12 cm, the notch depth is 6 cm; if the width is 6 cm, a 3-cm notch depth is sufficient.


It should be emphasized that all notches on the vertical boards should be of the same size and depth.


The notches on the horizontal boards should match those on the vertical boards.



Step 3: Assembly


Now all the wooden boards can be assembled to check if they match well. Then disassemble them and apply paint and varnish. Of course, if you are confident, you can paint them directly.



DIY Bookshelf



Step 4: Embedding in the Wall


After all the painting work is completed, assemble the wooden boards at the place where you want to install the bookshelf. Except for the top board of the bookshelf, which doesn’t need to be installed for now.


Drill holes at the notches where the top frame will be placed, insert screws through the wooden boards, and drill corresponding holes on the wall for fixation. If you are worried that there is not enough wood at the notches, you can drill holes on the wooden board above the notch. The entire bookshelf is taking shape, and these small holes are not visible, which is aesthetically pleasing. In this way, the screws are not visible from the outside, making the bookshelf seem to exist independently.



DIY Bookshelf



Step 5: Completion


A bookshelf has been successfully made. Now all you need to do is put your books on it and enjoy the pleasure of a small achievement.



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