Follow along with our DIY bookcase project and learn how to turn an old closet, awkward corner, or empty space into a gorgeous place to store your fav reads.

If you haven’t read Part One of this project yet, you can catch up HERE!

A Little DIY Bookcase Backstory

I was a hide-under-the-covers-with-my-booklight-so-my-mom-couldn’t-catch-me-up-late kinda girl growing up. Although I am not nearly as good at staying up late these days (read: I can’t remember the last time I stayed up past 9:30pm and before you ask, yes, that includes New Years Eve last week…) reading before bed is still one of my favorite routines.

I am the current, happy, nerdy owner of over 300 books (not including the 250+ I donated to the library before going to college) and since renovating our home in 2017, they’ve needed a place to live.

We made our 4-bedroom, small closeted, move-in ready home un-move-in ready for 5 months as we made it exactly what we wanted and needed it to be.

We combined two small rooms to make a master + huge walk-in closet and turned a second living space into Sam’s shop.

Our teeny used-to-be closet has been standing empty, waiting to be filled with SOMETHING for 3 years as we prioritized other projects like, you know… a door to the bedroom. For real, we didn’t have a door for the first 1.5 years of living here.

I may or may not have tried to talk Sam into putting up a bead curtain while I waited for him to make us one. Needless to say that idea was shot down pretty quickly.

Anywho – after all new doors in the house, a new kitchen layout, half-wall, a renovated (and constantly re-renovated/organized shop), plenty of outdoor projects, two busy Shadow Box holiday seasons and puppy raising (x2) we finally got around to creating our DIY bookcase as a built-in in that space.

Bookcase Before, During and After

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The DIY Bookcase Build

After this year’s holiday rush at Sam Macy Designs, he blocked off a few days to create my birthday bookcase built-in!

P.S. if you’re thinking to yourself “but Ali, I don’t have a random closet lying around… we’re may more on top of the reno thing than you are!”

First, you’re right – you probably are more on top of it than we are (were?).

But, lucky for you these DIY bookcase instructions will work for any ol’ wall in your house!

Want to follow along with the reno and do it yourself?! Check out the video below and click here to get the materials list and step-by-step instructions emailed right to you!

Questions? Shoot us an email or drop me a DM on insta! Have fun building and let us know how it goes!

<3 Ali