This DIY nursery bookshelf tutorial is so simple, with just a few supplies and basic tools! They make reading bedtime stories so fun!
These simple DIY bookshelf ledges have been on my to-do list forever. Now that I've finally finished them in Baby G's room, I immediately thought, "why in the world did it take me this long?!?!" They were so simple, I loved the price, and they make a huge impact. They're perfect for storing books on an empty wall in a kid's room or playroom.
I also love that the kids can see the books easily, which means they want to read more! My older daughter is already handing me books more often now that she sees them on the wall instead of tucked away on a traditional bookshelf.
I made these using the Ten Dollar Ledges plan from Ana White, except I used 1×3s instead of 1×4s. They're called $10 ledges because an 8-foot ledge costs about $10. Mine are 3 feet long, so they're more like "under $5 ledges."
OK, so here's how I did it.
Supplies You'll Need for DIY Bookshelves:
1. 1 – 1×2s in the length of your choice (I bought enough to make 3 – 3-foot ledges)
2. 2 – 1×3s in the length of your choice (I bought enough to make 3 – 3-foot ledges)
3. Miter saw or circular saw (optional)
4. Kreg Jig (optional)
5. Drill
6. Wood glue
7. Sander and/or sandpaper
8. Screws
9. Paint (I used Simply White from Benjamin Moore in semi-gloss)
10. Paint brush
11. Wood putty
12. Level
How to Build the DIY Nursery Bookshelf Ledges
1. Cut your wood to the length you want. I bought 6-foot boards, so I just cut them in half to make 3-foot pieces. I used my miter saw, but the hardware store will cut them for you (sometimes for a small fee).
2. I took one of the 1×3 boards and drilled three Kreg Jig holes pointing in both directions along the board.
3. I clamped the other 1×3 against the side of the first one, ran a line of wood glue between the joints, and screwed them together through the Kreg Jig holes. Repeat with the 1×2 on the other side.
4. I filled the Kreg Jig holes with spackling, but wood putty would have worked even better. I just couldn't find mine. You could leave these holes open since they're on the bottom of the ledges, but I figured we might see the bottoms if we're playing on the floor, and that would have bugged me. OCD? Maybe. Let the putty dry, and then you're ready for paint!!
5. Once the putty or spackling dried, I sanded it smooth and sanded the front corners down a bit. I don't want the baby to fall on a sharp corner!
6. Paint your ledges in the color of your choice. I love Benjamin Moore's Simply White, which I had color matched at Lowe's in their Valspar paint + primer. Since it was raw wood and the paint includes primer, I skipped priming. But I ended up needing 3 coats of paint. So you can either prime and do 2 coats of paint, or do 3 coats of paint. Your choice! (This is my favorite primer, if you go that route!)
How to Install the Ledges
There are many ways to install these ledges. Since mine are going in a baby's room, where they'll probably serve as a stabilizer for a little one who's just learning to walk, I wanted them as sturdy as possible. You could definitely use a French cleat or another hanging method, but I chose to screw my shelves directly into the studs.
I marked my studs on the wall and marked those spots on the ledges. Then I pre-drilled pilot holes through the ledges. This made driving the screws possible. Otherwise it would have been too hard to get them through so much solid wood.
Thankfully, my ledges spanned three studs on my walls, so they're super sturdy. Use a level to make sure they're level horizontally, and then use it again to check that they're level going up the wall, too.
I used 2" screws, and they worked great! Be sure to countersink them so you can putty and paint over them later!
I found the tallest book in our collection and used it as a spacer. If you don't want to use a book, cut a scrap piece of wood for this. It's much easier than trying to hold the ledge at just the right spot while you screw it in.
Once all the screws are in place, putty over the holes. Let that dry, then sand the putty and touch up the paint.
The last step is filling them with sweet baby books!! I absolutely love how this project turned out. The fact that it fills up a wall and lets the girls reach their books easily is the icing on the cake. When I'm sitting in the room feeding the baby, I just love to stare at them. Ha!
The cute woodland creature watercolors are from this Etsy shop, and they were only $5 each! So sweet and adorable! The frames are from IKEA.
This is almost the end of the DIY projects for Baby G's nursery. I'm so glad it's nearly done!!
Check out the other projects from a Baby Girl's Woodland Nursery.
