Book Ledges – Knock Off

When I first saw these book ledges in The Land of Nod catalog I knew I wanted them for Connor’s playroom. I love the fact that you can see the front of the books instead of just the spines.

The Land of Nod’s Book Ledges – $20 Each

The Book Ledges I Built for under $30

I was a little disappointed when I realized that they were out of stock so I knew I had to make them myself.  And I’m so glad I did considering I was able to make three shelves for less than $30.

The first step was to measure the space.  I decided I wanted mine to be 38 inches long.  The best part of making them myself was the fact that I could customize the length.

I went to Home Depot and had my wood cut.  This is what I got to make my three shelves:

• 6 – 1 x 3 @ 38 inches long
• 3 – 1 x 2 @ 38 inches long

Each shelf requires two 1 x 3’s and one 1 x 2 .  I got the cheapest wood since I was planning on painting the shelves.

Now we don’t own any fancy tools or gadgets.  I found a few tutorials online but they all required special drill bits and other items I didn’t have.  To keep this easy and cheap, I knew I had to figure out a way to build the shelves with only my drill or screwdriver.

I found these brackets in one of the aisles at Home Depot and decided to use them to attach my pieces of wood together.

I bought three packs of the corner brackets and three packs of the flat brackets – one pack for each shelf.  They come 4 in a pack.

 

Then I put the 1 x 2 in the front.  I attached the front piece of wood using the flat brackets.  These are screwed in the bottom of the shelf so you won’t see these either.  I screwed the flat brackets in two places.

 

I just hung the shelves using my drill and painted them white.

I’m actually very pleased with the end result.  They look very nice with all the books on them.  The best part has been watching Connor just go up and start reading his books.

I also love that the books look like art work on the wall.

So with a few pieces of wood, a drill and some brackets you can build your own book ledges also!!  And instead of paying $20 for each shelf, you can do it for less than $30.

That means it is time to order some fun, new books for Connor.

I hope this inspires you to build your own book ledges.  Have a great week!!