DIY Front-Facing Bookshelf
I've had a lot of positive feedback and inquiries about the front-facing bookshelf that my husband built for our oldest daughter for her first birthday.
We implement Montessori philosophies at home with our girls, so when I was designing the playroom, I knew that I wanted a front-facing bookshelf in it. This is because it makes it so much easier for toddlers to see the covers of their favorite books, as well as to remove and replace them from the shelf independently. Unfortunately, I couldn't find exactly what I was searching for online for an affordable price. I wanted something high quality, made of solid wood, at toddler height, and white in color to match her other playroom furniture.
Fortunately, my husband (NOT a carpenter) has an adventurous spirit for trying his hand at DIY projects and an interest in woodworking! So he started researching the models available for purchase and created his own design that would bring to life precisely what I was envisioning.
In response to a lot of requests for more details about the bookshelf (as seen in my Montessori at Home: Toddler Playroom Tour video), hubby was kind enough to put together a list of his materials and a set of instructions for you.
Our daughter LOVES this bookshelf and it is a key feature of her Montessori playroom, so we are excited to share exactly how you can make this DIY bookshelf at home, too!
(**Please note: We did not intend for this to become a published DIY project, as my hubby made this over a year ago now! However, we just so happened to have taken some photos along the way as he was building it, so I've included those for your visual reference.)
Shopping List:
(3) - 8 feet long 1x3
(1) - 4 feet long 1x3
(2) - 8 feet long 1x8
(1) - 4 feet long 1x8
(1) - 2 feet long 1x2
(1) - ¾” thick 2 feet by 4 feet plywood sheet
Cut List:
(7) - 1x3 @ 42” (1 - bottom trim board, 1 - top trim board, 5 - shelf boards)
(5) - 1x8 @ 42” (5 - shelf backing boards)
(10) - 1x2 @ 1.5” (10 - shelf supports)
Common Materials:
Wood Screws (1”)
Kreg Jig Screws (1 ¼”)
Wood Glue
Sandpaper (60, 120 and 240 grit)
Tack Cloths
Paint or stain (optional)
Painter’s Tape (optional)
Polyurethane (optional)
Protective felt or rubber pads (optional)
Tools:
Table Saw (alternatively, a Miter Saw and Circular Saw)
Router
Roundover Bits
Drill
Kreg Jig (optional)
Speed square
Clamps
Measuring Tape
Straight Edge / Ruler
Pencil
General Instructions: Please read through all instructions prior to starting this project. Follow general safety guidelines (i.e. wearing personal protective equipment) and best practices. Tips: Select straight boards when shopping, use sandpaper to smooth rough boards and cuts, use tack cloths to remove debris, check for squareness at each step, pre-drill pilot holes to prevent wood cracks, wipe away any excess wood glue, sand between coats of finish.
Build Instructions:
Step 1: Drill pocket holes along side edges of the (5) shelf and (1) top trim boards. Spacing of the pocket holes is not too important. As a reference, I placed them at 6” and 14” in from the ends of each board. (*Photo note: only the (5) shelf boards are shown here.)
Step 2: Using a router and roundover bit, round off one side of the lengthwise edge on (1) bottom trim and (5) shelf backing boards.
Step 3: Make the four inner segments by attaching the shelf boards to the shelf backing boards, 1.5” from the rounded edge of the shelf backing board.
Step 4: Make the upper segment by attaching the top trim board to the remaining shelf backing board, creating a flush corner.
Step 5: Make the lower segment by attaching the remaining shelf board to the bottom trim board, 1.5” from the rounded edge of the bottom trim board.
Step 6: Attach the lower segment to one of the inner segments, using clamps and spacers to keep the two segments squared up. Use wood glue and 1” wood screws. Pre-drill pilot holes as needed to prevent the wood from cracking.
Step 7: Repeat this process with the remaining inner segments and upper segment, building out a staircase-like inner structure.
Step 8: Use wood glue to attach shelf supports on the inner side of the inner structure. These supports help to provide some rigidity to the structure and keep things squared up.
Step 9: Place the entire inner structure vertically onto the plywood sheet, ensuring squareness.
Step 10: Using a straight edge or ruler, use a pencil to outline the desired bookcase side shape.
Step 11: Cut the bookcase side from the plywood with a table saw or circular saw.
Step 12: Trace the bookcase side onto the remaining plywood, then cut with a table saw or circular saw to create a duplicate piece for the other side.
Step 13: Clamp both bookcase sides together and sand any uneven areas as needed.
Step 14: Using a router and roundover bit, round off both sides of the outer-facing edge on both bookcase sides.
Step 15: Attach the inner structure to the bookcase sides using wood glue and 1” wood screws at each of the shelf supports. Do this for both sides, keeping the inner structure square with the bookcase sides.
Step 16: Apply paint, stain, oil or any other types of wood finishes, as desired. At this stage, we chose to go with a paint finish.
If painting:
-Prepare the wood for painting by sanding all areas to be painted
-Apply a primer to all areas to be painted (apply additional coats as needed)
-Use painter’s tape to mask off any sections as needed
-Paint using thin coats (apply additional coats as needed)
-Apply coats of polyurethane as a protective finish
