41 DIY Bookshelves to Make in a Weekend

If you’re a book lover who prefers the page to the screen, building a DIY bookshelf to house your collection is a fun weekend project that will allow you to customize the look and feel to suit your storage needs and design style. From freestanding bookcases to built-in shelves, tool-free projects and simple hacks, there’s a project here for all skill levels and budgets, and just about every room in the house. And for those who want to give an existing bookcase a DIY makeover, we’ve got that covered, too.

Diamond-Shaped

A Beautiful Mess made a DIY diamond-shaped, wall-mounted bookshelf that houses books interpersed with small décor objects. The finished piece functions as a wall accent as well as storage space for reading materials.

DIY Mounted Shelving Unit

Almost Makes Perfect built DIY shelving units on either side of a small fireplace to maximize space on a large wall that house books, objects, and a small home bar. Using wood shelving and black brackets, the bookcase was designed so that each side was "symmetrical but not identical."

DIY Bookshelf With TV

On the left side of the fireplace, this DIY shelving unit from Almost Makes Perfect makes room for books, records, and a flat-screen TV.

Leaning Bookshelf

Fish & Bull built a light pine wood leaning bookshelf for just $60 total that has a modern, minimalist look and feel for storing books and displaying plants and small objects. The simple design has a light and airy profile that would work with a variety of styles and different rooms.

Angled Shelf Bookcase

This DIY knotty pine bookcase with angled shelves from Brepurposed was made for a nursery and modeled after a wine rack spotted on Pinterest. The assymetrical design adds interest to a simple piece of furniture.

DIY Pine Bookcase

The Merrythought built a pale wood DIY bookcase with a Scandi-style feel for a kids' room that is used to store books, objects, toys, and more. The pine boards were only minimally sanded to retain a more rustic natural look.

DIY Rolling Bookshelf

This rolling DIY bookshelf from Liz Marie Blog was painted gray and finished with wax for a weathered farmhouse look.

Industrial Pipe Bookshelves

One of the advantages of building your own wall-mounted bookshelves is that you can design it around the quirks of your home's layout and features. These DIY bookshelves featured on DIY Candy are made from industrial pipe and pine boards, creating a custom look with vintage flair. The bookshelves are built on either side of a high, small window, with a wine rack and a central shelf that help to balance the wall feature. Source affordable industrial pipes online or at a wholesale plumbing supply store.

DIY Bookshelf Wall

A Beautiful Mess constructed this wall of bookshelves to mimic the pitched roof of the living room. The shelving is painted white to match the rest of the room, with a house-like design whose childlike appeal is heightened by arranging a large collection of books by color.

Wooden Crate Shelving

The Merrythought created a DIY statement wall of shelving made from unassuming wood crates. The crates are stacked in alternating directions to add dynamism to the design, and are painted in a dark shade of Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint for a dramatic look.

Stacked Shelves

If you're not a DIYer but want to create the look of a DIY wall-mounted bookshelf for less, stack a few simple wall mounted shelves on top of one another on a narrow wall, like this NYC apartment desk corner from Most Lovely Things.

DIY Plywood Bookshelf

This modern DIY bookcase from The Merrythought is made from simple plywood finished with clear polyurethane. The pale wood bookcase stands out against dark walls in a kids' room and complements a DIY desk on an adjacent wall.

DIY Old Window Bookshelves

Liz Marie Blog built this DIY bookcase from upcycled antique window frames. Placing simple chicken wire to fill the space where the glass used to be, and adding shelves and painted white legs gives the piece a homemade, modern farmhouse feel.

Painted Niche Bookshelves

If your home has an empty wall niche that you don't know what to do with, add built-in shelving for an instant wall bookcase. Or if someone beat you to it and you want to add some interest to the niche, paint the back in a bold contrasting color that will give it depth and allow objects to stand out. These bookshelves from Thistlewood Farms are styled with a collection of white milk glass for a high-contrast look.

DIY Makeover

A Blissful Nest gave an old bookcase a DIY makeover with chalk paint that made it look brand new. Styled with books, seashells, and cobalt blue glassware gives it a coastal feel.

DIY Corner Bookshelf

A Beautiful Mess built an adjustable corner wall-mounted bookshelf using popular wood boards and white shelving standards that fills the space and can be modified as needs grow and change. The shelving provides space to house books and turns an awkward, unused corner into a feature.

DIY Spool Bookcase

Thistlewood Farms built a DIY spool bookcase that looks perfectly at home in the modern farmhouse entryway, styled with old books and rustic objects.

Virtual Bookcase

Most Lovely Things added a group of shelving above the dining room table in a NYC apartment that creates the air of a wall-mounted bookshelf and houses everything from books to plants to dishware and silverware.

Lighted Bookcase Wall

My 100 Year Old Home installed battery operated-remote control lights at the tops of the bookshelves in this attic bedroom that add dimension and provide ambient light in the evenings at an affordable price point.

Rotating Corner Bookshelf

Anika's DIY Life built a DIY rotating corner bookshelf for the corner of this kids' room to accommodate a growing collection of books without dominating the space with a large bookcase.

DIY Kids' Bookshelves

A Beautiful Mess installed a full wall of DIY bookshelves in a shared kids' room. The shelves are painted with trim paint for durability in the same color as the wall for a built-in look, and hung low enough so that kids can access them without assistance.

Floating Bookshelves

The Merrythought built DIY space-saving, wall-mounted shelves to add book storage to a small reading corner that is practical but has a light touch.

Tile-Backed Bookcase

Thistlewood Farms gave an existing bookcase an easy DIY makeover by using leftover tile to decorate the back.

Trellis Back Bookcase

Anika's DIY Life built a DIY garden-inspired trellis-back bookshelf with a light and airy look, and painted it in a soothing shade of blue.

Rustic Shelving

Used here for tool storage in a home workshop, these rustic DIY wood shelves from Funky Junk Interiors could also work as bookshelves in an industrial-style loft.

Wood Shim Bookcase

Thistlewood Farms gave a plain bookcase a facelift with an inexpensive package of wood shims, sawed in half and affixed to the back for a rustic, textured farmhouse look.

Reclaimed Wood Bookcase

Lobster and Swan used reclaimed wood throughout this hand built English country cottage kitchen, from the hood vent to the cabinetry and open shelving, and a rustic bookcase under the window that houses cookbooks.

Faux Built-Ins

Thistlewood Farms turned a pair of bookcases on opposite walls into built-ins by building a frame that extends to the ceiling, adding crown molding, and painting it all in a fresh coat of modern farmhouse white.

DIY Bookshelf Media Wall

A Beautiful Mess built a wall of DIY bookshelves on the far wall of this living room, leaving space for a flat screen TV. The wall and shelving are painted in the same matte black as the wall behind the couch, allowing the colors of the books to create an accent, and the TV screen to partially disappear against the dark background.

Home Cloffice Built-Ins

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona transformed a closet into a small home cloffice with built-in bookshelves painted dark blue for a custom look.

Upcycled Painted Bookcase

If you scored a charming secondhand bookcase on your weekend trip to the flea market, thrift store, or a local yard sale, put your own stamp on it by painting it in a fresh color like this light blue bookshelf from Thistlewood Farms.

Midcentury Modern Shelving

Hammer & a Headband built midcentury modern-inspired DIY wood and metal bookshelves that bring on the vintage vibes at a lower price point than original models. A George Nelson-inspired clock amps up the midcentury modern feel.

DIY Wood Wallpaper Makeover

Styled here with a collection of milk glass, these bookshelves from Thistlewood Farms are covered with wood-effect wallpaper for a faux rustic spin that works well in a modern farmhouse-style room.

Reclaimed Wood Bookshelf

This reclaimed wood bookshelf featured by Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona adds a big dose of rustic style to against white walls and can be used for anything from books to extra kitchen storage.

Barn Wood Bookcase

This weathered barn wood effect bookcase from Anita's DIY Life is actually a doctored oak laminate piece that was transformed with chalk paint, wood paste wax, and peel-and-stick wood tile in a weathered barn wood pattern.

Add Crown Molding

Not every DIY has to be a surgical intervention. Thistlewood Farms gave a plain white bookcase an upgrade by adding an extra panel of pine wood and crown molding then painting it all over again to create a polished look.

Modern DIY Standing Bookshelf

Anika's DIY Life built this modern book and display shelf in just five easy steps. The dark stain brings out the rustic grain of the wood.

DIY Baby Bookshelves

A Beautiful Mess added painted wood display shelves to the wall of a nursery for children's books that can be swapped out as seasons change or new books come in. The same system could be used to display photos or photography and art books in an adult space.

Integrated Book Storage

Thistlewood Farms added book storage to a DIY pallet wood desk that is complemented with a wall-mounted shelving unit to store a small selection of books.

50 Wood Pallet Furniture Ideas to Build on a Budget

Floating Cookbook Shelves

This built-in desk and mini cookbook library from Living with Lolo is a fun feature for those who enjoy having a dedicated place to display and browse favorite cookbooks and plan meals. You can give an existing nook or built-in desk in a spacious kitchen a makeover with removable wallpaper and floating shelves, or cobble together a freestanding version by hanging some floating shelves on the wall above a console table.

Wood Pallet Book Shelves

Wood pallets turned on their side and securely affixed to the wall create a simple DIY bookshelf or a plant shelf (or both).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to buy a bookshelf or build one?

It depends. There are a lot of abandoned bookshelves and bookcases in the world, and you can source inexpensive (or even free) pieces at thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces. You can save money building a bookshelf yourself from affordable or reclaimed materials, and hiring someone to build one for you will include additional labor costs. Or you can buy new at any price point, keeping in mind that you will pay more for quality materials and craftsmanship than you would at a big box store.

How do you make a really simple bookshelf?

To build a simple bookcase, you'll need a few saws, a variety of boards, shelf boards and pegs, particle board for the back, brackets, screws, and melamine edging tape. Follow our tutorial on how to make a simple bookshelf to learn more.

How much does it cost to build a custom bookshelf?

The cost of building a custom bookshelf depends on whether you are looking to build a small freestanding bookcase or a wall of built-in shelving; whether you are building it yourself or hiring a professional; as well as which materials you use (such as type of wood and hardware) and any extra features added such as trim or doors. According to Angi, the cost of constructing a built-in bookshelf ranges from $1,399 to $4,747, with an average cost of $2,954, with size being the largest variable in determining cost.