repurposed bifold doors bookcase

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Blue-Roof-Cabin-bi-fold-door-bookcase

How to make a bookshelf out of a bi-fold door.


repurposed-door-shelf
Hi I’m Mimi from the Blue Roof Cabin Blog and I am so happy Gail allowed me to guest post on MRL today. Gail’s blog is my favorite! I love a good re-purpose don’t you?
On my blog I share my passion for all things DIY. Today I’d love to show you how I repurposed bifold doors into a bookcase. Here’s what I started with
bi-fold-door

two bi-fold wood doors that I picked up at the Restore.

routered channel
The first thing I did after removing all the hinges and handles was to router a channel into the doors for the back to fit into. I used 1/4″ pine bead board boards for the back. You know the kind that come wrapped up in packages at the big home stores. To determine the width of my bookcase I cut the tongue off one of the bead board boards and dry fit them all together. I measured then subtracted for the channels and cut my 1 x 4’s accordingly.
pocket holes
The bi-fold doors are paneled and the spacers just happened to be the same size as a 1 x 4. To attach the sides and support the shelves I drilled pocket holes into some 1 x 4’s then glued and screwed everything together.
bottom shelf

I attached a 1 x 4 to the bottom front in the same way.

another view
repurposed bifold door
I attached the bead board to the back with glue and nails.
shelf

The shelves I made by gluing and clamping together 1 x pine boards. I had to notch out the back corner of each shelf with my jig saw. The shelves were all secured to the bookcase with glue and nails.

door shelf
I wanted more shelves than there were 1 x 4’s so I used 3/8″ x 2″ trim to support the additional shelves. I glued and nailed them to the edges of the bi-fold doors and through the bead board back.
top crown
For the top of the bookshelf I decided to router the edge of the top board to continue the look of the crown molding. I like big crown.
crown

Because of the way the bi-fold doors are designed there was a gap between the crown and the middle part of the top of the door. I filled it by gluing and nailing a 1/4″ dowel to the door. I think it ties in with the bead of the bead board.

more crown
I finished the edges of the shelves off with some trim I picked up at the Restore.
shelf support
For the paint finish I started by priming the whole cabinet with oil based primer because the doors appeared to have been sealed with oil based poly. I could tell by the lovely yellowness of them. I decided to do a two tone as well as try a new technique I have been seeing all around the blogisphere. For the inside I used a flat latex Robins Egg Blue color. For the outside I tried the vaseline technique to get a chippy look.
chippy
The first coat was a layer of dark brown latex. Once that dried I randomly touched areas I wanted to look “chippy” with the vaseline. Paint wont stick to where you put the vaseline. I didn’t go overboard with it because I didn’t want it to end up looking like a spotted cow.
distressed finish
I liked the look but…. I’m so used to sanding to distress that I started sanding and then ended up sanding over the whole thing with my palm sander. I like how the finish turned out in the end. I finished the whole thing off with clear acrylic satin. I have been using chalk paint so much lately it was fun to play with good old latex again.
bi-fold door bookcase
This thing turned out tall.
bookcase
There ya have it. If you like this post I’d love for you to stop by my blog and check out some of my other re-purpose projects like:

Salvaged Door into Dining Room Banquette

or if you’re not that into doors check out my project gallery for furniture makeovers, re-upholstery projects and more.

Thanks for reading!

Mimi-you know I love a great door repurpose! I’m also a fan of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore! Love this bookcase, the color is perfect!
gail

Check out other door projects here:

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ABOUT GAIL WILSON - A teacher at heart, Gail Wilson relishes the chance not to show off her projects, but to help others find their inner handywoman, step-by-step. Her blog, MyRepurposedLife.com, chronicles her scrap-saving adventures and has been featured on countless DIY magazines and websites, including Women’s Day, Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy. She is a longtime influencer for both Homeright and Gorrilla Glue. With a tribe of more than 450,000 followers, Gail is inspiring a new generation of DIYers to pick up some tools and get to work.

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Comments

  2. Lisa says

    November 13, 2014 at 10:57 am

    I know this is a couple of years old and hope you see me question. Are the doors you used solid core or hollow core? Thanks! Love this project!

    Reply

  4. Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic says

    July 16, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Mimi, I love this repurpose! Great job. Now I know what to do with the leftover bifolds I took out of my son’s laundry room.
    Congrats on the guest post!

    Reply

  6. Rasonda @ Lake Cottage Dreams says

    July 12, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    I actually have a couple of these lying around but Im sure they are not real wood. Do you think it would work Mimi? Great tut Mimi, you rock lady!

    Reply

  8. I Play Outside The Box says

    July 12, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    Fantastic re-purpose!!! I love to go to our local ReStore…I look at all the goodies there and always think to myself…”wonder what Gail could do with something like that”. It wasn’t long ago that I saw folding door similar to what you found…but what you done with yours sure didn’t flow through my brain….women like you and Gail just amaze me!! Thanks for sharing Mimi!!

    Reply

  11. Debilou ~ Mississippi Mama says

    July 12, 2012 at 2:54 pm

    oh i love it… I follow your blog too and Im a big fan. Uhhmmm.. you know if you and Gail could get together and invite a bunch of us over for a class/fun/build something day that would be great..LOL.

    Reply

  12. Katie says

    July 12, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    Love this fancy-pants book case! If know one told me I would have never of known this was once bi-fold door! love it!

    Reply

  13. Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder says

    July 12, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Dearest Mimi,

    Very clever idea and you are handy for doing this! Enjoy it now.
    Love,
    Mariette

    Reply

  15. Laurel Stephens says

    July 12, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    A guest post! Yay! This is such a terrific recycling idea and beautiful furniture to-boot. I haven’t mastered my husband’s router yet, and if I can find some thrifty doors, this is a great project on which to learn.

    Reply

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