DIY Shelves Idea

Wooden Ladder

Have an old wooden ladder in that shed that's no longer being put to use? You could have yourself a free bookshelf with just a few nails and hammer. Flipping the ladder on it's side, it acts as a horizontal shelf, whereby the two side poles support the books, and the rungs act as built in book ends. The older the wood, the better. This will surely transform any room into a vintage-classic space.

Old Books

A variety of shelves can be made by using old books. The first is a concealed shelf whereby the book itself acts as the support. Using just a wall bracket and some screws, a hardcover can cover the bottom bracket, and more books can be placed on top. Another option is gather about a dozen of your old and unused books. Using a piece of wood and two wall brackets (similar to that of the first shelf) along with elastic webbing a shelf can be made. Simply staple a piece of the elastic on the wood using a staple gun, and slip the book into the elastic. Repeat this for the other dozen or so books, lining them up next to each other. This will create an inverted book case, with the wood acting as a shelf and the books seemingly floating underneath.

Suitcases and Old Trunks

Have an old suitcase of ancient trunk lying in that attic? If these have a solid, flat surface, they can be flipped to one side and easily nailed into the wall, acting as a shelf. Or, these can be opened and the interior can act as a shelf, one tall one; with added planks of wood on the interior, several shorter ones. At the same time, these can be left at ground level, or placed on the wall for a vintage feel.

Wooden Drawers

Wooden and worn drawers make the best shelves to hang on the wall. Handles on or off, these can be flipped so that the inside acts as one large shelf. At the same time, the top acts as a second layer of shelving. These are simple to screw right into the wall, and can be picked up for just dollars at a thrift store.

Piano

While most of us don't have unused and unwanted pianos just sitting around, these can make neat bookshelves when tilted to one side and hollowed out. Just add a few wooden shelves of your own and you've got yourself a decent sized shelving unit that will be the focal point of any room.

Old and Unused Wood

If you're the creative type that can work the saw, anything's possible. Using old wood alone, shapes can be created and words can be spelled to not only act as a decoration for any room but second as a shelf. Popular are the branching bookshelves made to look like trees that act as shelving.

Doors

Another idea for the handyman in all of us, this shelf utilizes doors as the book ends to a shelf. Sawed in half, these two parts act as the edges, holding the books in. These doors can be left in their original state, old, worn and wooden, or painted to any color to match the interior.

Shadow Boxes

Shadow boxes can be used for a variety of sorts. When the class is taken out, similar to the drawers, they act as the perfect empty interior for a book shelf. Wooden planks can be added to provide extra spacing, of the boxes can be left as is for a tall space. A similar look can be attained with solid wooden frame and extra wood. Connecting the frame to four pieces of wood, one on each side, wood create a hollowed box, resembling the shadow box shelf.

Industrial Pipes

These seemingly ugly pipes can be utilized to create a rustic shelving unit. With or without a wooden plank for book support, these will act as useful shelves in a place somewhere you may have never considered before.