DIY Vertical Bookshelf

Books stack flat instead of standing up on a vertical bookcase.

If you're a book lover or student with plenty of texts but little room to place them in, save your floor space for sleeping and living, and use your vertical space to store the books. Vertical bookcases provide a compact solution, have a sleek design, and you need little more than wood planks and basic tools to make one yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• 1 wooden plank, 2 inches by 4 inches
• Shelving boards, 1 inch by 8 inches
• 1 wooden plank, 4 inches by 16 inches
• Paint (optional)
• Painting supplies (optional)
• Drill
• 1/2-inch screws
• Floating shelf brackets, hardware

Instructions

1. Stack the books you want to store on your case flat on the ground against a wall. Measure how tall they stand to determine how tall you want your case. Add 4 to 6 inches for that measurement. Otherwise, measure the desired height for the case from the ground up.

2. Measure the height and width of the largest books to get an idea of what size shelving boards you need.

3. Purchase a plank of 2 by 4 wood cut to your measured height. Purchase several shelving boards, depending on how many books you want on each shelf.

4. Purchase narrow 1 by 8 shelves cut several inches wider than the height or your largest books. Purchase a 4 by 16 plank, measuring twice as large as your shelving boards. This is your base.

5. Paint your shelving spine, boards and stand your desired color or finish. Let them dry completely overnight.

6. Measure to the center of the bookcase stand on one of the long sides. Mark 2 inches from that center point on each side. Butt the tall 2 by 4 plank up against that side of the base plank, centering it between the two marks you've made. Attach it with wood glue, and secure it with four to six 1/2-inch wood screws.

7. Calculate how much space to place between each shelf. If you're building a bookcase measuring 60 inches tall, Subtract 4 inches for the base to get 56. Divide that number by how many shelves you have. If you have 3 shelves, you get 18 and 2/3 inches. Subtract 1 inch for the thickness of each shelf you're installing. This leaves 15 and 2/3 inches of space from shelf bottom to bottom.

8. Mark where your shelves will sit on the 2 by 4 plank using your measurement, every 15 and 2/3 inches for a 60-inch case.

9. Drill a hole on the long edge of one of the shelving boards, placing it in the exact center. The hole circumference should measure just a bit larger than the circumference of the floating shelf bracket you'll use. Drill the hole as deep as the bracket measures, about 6 inches for this bookshelf. Repeat with all shelves.

10. Draw a line down the exact center of the 2 by 4 plank Mark for a drill hole just under the horizontal mark where the shelf will sit, centered vertically on the line you just drew down the center. Do this for every shelf you're going to install.

11. Center the first bracket on the markings for the lowest shelf. Drill one screw in -- most brackets have two -- and place a level on top to see if the bracket hangs straight. Drill the second screw to secure the bracket. Tug it to ensure it's secure. Repeat with the other brackets up the length of the plank.

12. Slide your shelves onto the bracket pipes sticking out.

References

• "This Old House"; How to Build a Bookcase; Alexandra Bandon

Resources

• Apartment Therapy: Roundup: Vertical Spine Bookcases