DIY Bookcase Using Narrow Wooden Crates

So. I thought I'd create a home for a few of my history books on Queen Victoria & her children. But I'm afraid of clutter. Bringing ill-fitted furniture into a space looks bad, i.e. cluttered! IMHO there needs to be space, as well as, the right articles for any home to look stylish. 

That's why I'm starting cheap. If a bad idea, I haven't invested much, but if a good idea, I can replace my DIY bookshelves with an upscale bookcase later on (if I desire). Because workers are still entering my apartment, my brand new area rug is left rolled up ... giving me the freedom to embark on a DIY project.

Enough storage for about 8 -10 regular sized books

"Narrow" is the key word. Any book nook I add to my space needs to fit a tight section of my wall. Therefore, I bought pine crates at Home Depot and painted them Bone White, the color of my walls. (The stool above was to sit on to paint; and yes, that's my foot in the picture. Not being a professional painter, I forget to remove my good shoes to do the job. I'm glad they aren't painted too!🙂)

After water damage from the upstairs fire, the wall behind the book nook was replaced with a new one, leaving the floor tiles shattered. Yet the powers in charge have no plans to fix or replace all the loose and shattered tiles in my apartment. This shelf will go in a corner of the room after it is finished.

Now I'm waiting for the paint to cure on my new shelves before deciding on the next step, whether to:

1) Stack one on top of each other (as I show above↑);
2) Put wheels on the bottom; 
3) Make another stack of 2 and attach back to back, then add wheels;
4) Leave them side by side;
5 Attach them together (using gorilla glue or nails, a must with 3 or more shelves); or leave them unattached;
6) Call it a bad idea and toss.

Moving the crates around the living room helps to find the right spot. Hmm?

Who says she doesn't have space for a bookcase? Futhermore, these versatile crates can be stacked vertically or horizontally on top of furniture, if need be. If they end up under a window, 2 crate high will do. Next to the wall, I could attach 3-4 crates high, but need a platform to lift them up since the wall molding keeps them from resting against the wall. In a corner, they look best flat against the wall.

People with knowhow could add adorable touches, no?  Each narrow crate holds about 4 books. So 2 (holds 8 books), 3 (holds 12 books), or 4 (holds 16 books), neatly, immaculately and organized, no?

In a large room, a homeowner could get more ambitious by using large crates, as well as, attach 6, 9 or 12, etc. together. Painted, or stained ... and  voilà ... stylish DIY storage furniture for less!

Be it for books, or something else, there is no end to how a creative person can decorate with inexpensive wooden crates. See Pinterest here for the many impressive ways! I'm posting 3 of my favorites although they may be above my skill-set.🙂

What do your think of using wooden crates as storage units?


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