Make: Invisible bookshelf

Information

Make: Invisible bookshelf

I live in a small studio apartment and don't have a ton of space for a standard bookcase. I also don't have a lot of room for a big night table to hold all the books & mags I'm currently reading.


I spotted this genius "bookshelf" on Instructables. It's perfect for what I need, plus it looks slick. I decided to give it a go over the weekend.

Members: 4
Latest Activity: Aug 23, 2012

Instructions & Materials

What you'll need:

  • A book you never want to read again. I chose a book that looks great, and had a nice title.
  • L bracket - depending on the size of book you may need two. I used one...but honestly, I am pretty sure I will need to add another one. So make sure you think about the weight. Remember -- books are heavy!
  • Also, make sure the length is about half as long as the width of the book. (My hardware store was out...so I made due, but again I have a sinking feeling I'll be adding another L bracket)
  • Small wood screws -- make sure they are short enough to not drill through your book.
  • Large wood screws -- these are to affix to your wall.
  • X-acto knife (blade should be very sharp)
  • Tape measure
  • Glue
  • Stack of books or weights to put on top of the book as it dries over night.

Making the "shelf", Step 1:

  • Flip the book over and open up to the last page -- this is very important, otherwise the title of your book will be upside down.
  • Measure the halfway point of your book, your L bracket will sit in the middle (as pictured above.) If you are using two L brackets -- measure accordingly, with each bracket spaced evenly.
  • Outline your L bracket and cut deep enough so the bracket lay flush with the book.
  • NOTE: The L bracket is upside down in these images, it will eventually be flipped over and screwed into the book.

Step 2:

  • Close the book, flip it over.
  • Put the L bracket in correctly.
  • Slide it in to meet the edge of the cover.
  • Mark the front cover of your book on either side of the the L bracket.
  • Cut out a notch deep enough that the L bracket is flush against the pages. (I used an X-acto knife, but you may need a stronger blade considering the thickness of the cover.)

Step 3:

  • Screw the L bracket into the book with the small wood screws. Make sure you hold the bracket and the pages down firmly, otherwise the pages can slip. This can create a skewed effect, which can wind up ruining the project.
  • On either corner of the book screw the small wooden screws in. As above, make sure to hold the pages flat or you may get a skewed look rippling your pages. If this happens it will make the book unable to close fully, rendering your next step hard to complete.

Step 4:

  • Next glue the bottom page generously. I also put glue on the L bracket.
  • Close it and put a bunch of books (or something very heavy) on top as weights.
  • Let it dry over night. This is important, you do not want the bottom to open while it's been attached to your wall.

Hang it!

  • After your "bookshelf" has dried over night -- find a stud in your wall, screw it into the wall.
  • Add books!

That's it!

If you have any questions, pointers or would like to share your own experience, please do so below in the Discussion Forum or leave a comment. I'd love to hear if you made this and how it turned out.

 

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Comment by alinc on August 23, 2012 at 9:32pm

I am diggin this .  Fun!

Comment by Poppytalk on June 8, 2012 at 12:01am

I must try this myself, awesome job - and nice styling!

Comment by Matt Miller on June 5, 2012 at 11:22am

This is so awesome. Fifteen thumbs up. 

 

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