I’m so excited to tell you the latest news here at MRL. We have a new contributor! Isn’t that exciting? Mindi from MyLove2Create will be blogging a couple of times a month showing you great DIY tutorials. I love all of Mindi’s projects, and today’s is no exception. Take it away Mindi!
Hello My Repurposed Life Readers, my name is Mindi and I blog over at MyLove2Create. I am super excited to be a contributor here! I have always admired Gail and her amazing skills in the field of DIY and repurposing, I can’t tell you how much she has inspired me!
Today I am sharing a fun project I created for my daughter’s room…
A repurposed peg hook shelf into a fun book shelf!
She LOVES it! It is a great way for her to hang her stuff, keep her books organized and display her art work, and I love it because it keeps the mess off her floor!
It all started with a lonely old hook shelf that has been sitting in my shed collecting dust.
Seen one of these before? I am sure a lot of you may have one. I had the idea to make a bookshelf on top…
I started by putting two scrap pieces of wood together and cutting some “book ends” not sure what I should call them. I made two and then traced them on and cut two more.
I looked around my shed (which is a total mess right now!) and found some scrap bead board from when I did my Desk and Hutch Makeover. I also found some moulding and spindles from an old crib I had gotten off the curb. Here I am piecing it together to see how to build it.
I cut the bead board to how long I wanted and measured out the best length for the spindles, which is what will hold the books in place. At this point I decided to leave the middle open for a spot to display art work. My little girl loves to do art projects!
Here is where I notched out the bead board, I measured two inches up from the bottom then traced where to cut. I used my awesome jigsaw that I scored from the Restore for $5!
I also measured the moulding and cut it to size. Then I gathered everything up and headed into the house where it wasn’t below freezing. Ahhh warm!
I set to drilling pocket holes with my Kreg Jig into my book ends.
Using my spindle I was able to mark where the “book ends should go.
Then I used glue and pocket hole screws to attach them! You could also drill in screws from under the shelf into the bottom of the book ends if don’t have a pocket hole jig.
After attaching all the pieces I flipped it over and put on some glue. (They kind of look like shark fins, don’t ya think?)
I put the bead board on and nailed it into the shelf and book end pieces. I also decided to add screws, better safe than sorry!
When I turned it back over I added the top trim. I thought it would look good if the book ends were connected to the top. So, I went out and cut some scrap 1×1’s and slightly beveled the ends at 45 degrees. Then I glued and nailed them on.
I filled in all the holes, and oops, I forgot my other spindles…
That’s better! I wanted a spot for her tall books and one for her short ones, the rounded book ends make it easy to have different levels.
I used three nails from my nail gun to attach the spindles onto the book ends.
I decided to do all the hanging stuff before I painted. I used two D-Ring hooks on the back and hung them on screws that were secured to studs. When I saw it on my daughter’s wall I decided it needed a 1×2 on the top. I used glue, tape, and clamps, because it was late, and cold, and I did not want to go outside and hook up my air compressor and nail gun!
I primed it and painted two coats of white paint.
To add some fun accents I grabbed my washi tape (which is removable) and slapped some on…
So cute!! It totally made a difference, and the best part is that I can change out the washi tape to a different color/pattern, or remove it altogether at anytime.
I also hot glued a clip onto the middle section so she can display here art work (this was just some school work I found in her room).
Here is a sweet drawing she got from a friend.
This project solved our hook problem and book problem, now she has places for both!
I love how something that I didn’t use anymore can be transformed in to something special and very useful, my kind of project!!
For more ideas check out My Projects!
Hugs!
Mindi
see more of Mindi’s posts on MRL below:
[categorythumbnaillist 274]
and some more projects using bits and pieces:
[categorythumbnaillist 314]
Please be sure to leave Mindi the love that you would normally leave for me in the comments below. She worked really hard on this fabulous project and blog post! So happy to have Mindi be a regular around My Repurposed Life!
Mindi is a wife, mother, runner, dancer, and a lover of all things fun and DIY.
A few years ago she discovered blogs and fell in love with the idea that she could do things she had always dreamed of doing. Like build furniture from pallets, and make cool projects for her home.... Mindi was inspired by other bloggers that empowered her to create.
Mindi decided to give back and possibly reach someone out there that has a desire to create like herself. She believes we all have that desire in some form or another, and we all DO create in our own way, every day. Whether it be crafty or not, even creating happiness in others is a gift that many share.
Mindi loves to learn and use that knowledge to make beautiful and useful things for her home.
Welcome Mindi! I love this idea, especially the little book rack and the washi tape accent. Your daughter’s tastes will change and you can change the tape right with it! I could use a rack like this in my sewing room and I could store my project ideas on the rack. *Saw this on Roadkill Rescue.
Love it! Any child would be thrilled to have the book shelf in their home. I couldn’t help but think that it could also be used as a plate/platter and cup display shelf later when it out grew the story books!
That is so creative! I love how the books face out so their covers are easy to see. Also, that she can put up and change the artwork she wants to display. Very nice!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that you were creating the dang thing in your kitchen of all places…inspires me to NOT wait til it’s warm enough outside to be stuck inside hubby’s freezing cold garage trying to make a project…who says you can’t have a wood shop in your kitchen, right? AWESOME job!
Just is just plum cute!
Welcome Mindi! I love this idea, especially the little book rack and the washi tape accent. Your daughter’s tastes will change and you can change the tape right with it! I could use a rack like this in my sewing room and I could store my project ideas on the rack. *Saw this on Roadkill Rescue.
Well now that is different, handy and really neat.
Congrats on the new contributor–love this shelf repurposed!
Love It! and great instructions. Thanks 🙂
Love it! Any child would be thrilled to have the book shelf in their home. I couldn’t help but think that it could also be used as a plate/platter and cup display shelf later when it out grew the story books!
Super cute, my daughter would love to this.
What a great repurpose! Absolutely LOVE it!!!! I have a ton of these that you have inspired me to recreate. Definitely pinning this to a few boards!
http://www.pinterest.com/patinaparadise/creative-w-wood/
http://www.pinterest.com/patinaparadise/recycled-repurposed/
That is so creative! I love how the books face out so their covers are easy to see. Also, that she can put up and change the artwork she wants to display. Very nice!
This shelf is so unique!
It would look great in a kitchen too.
Great reuse Mindi! I love the beadboard!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that you were creating the dang thing in your kitchen of all places…inspires me to NOT wait til it’s warm enough outside to be stuck inside hubby’s freezing cold garage trying to make a project…who says you can’t have a wood shop in your kitchen, right? AWESOME job!
That is cute and clever as can be! I love it.
What a great book shelf and great job building it too! I had to do a double take at the end on who built it. Thanks for sharing your idea Mindi!
Looks great.
This is adorable…super job on this piece!
Very cute.