How to Make a Bookcase on a Carpet

Wood crates make sturdy bookcases.

Bookcases are highly useful pieces of home furniture that can store pictures and knickknacks as well as the books they are intended to hold. While many bookcase-building projects require woodworking tools, there are still bookcases that can be made on carpet without any woodworking skill or resources at all. If you are living in a carpeted apartment and still have a need for bookshelves, make a fruit crate bookcase that can be put together in a few hours.

Things You'll Need

• Drop cloth
• Soap and water
• Fruit crates or wine boxes
• Wood glue
• C-clamps

Instructions

1. Put down a drop cloth to protect your carpeting.

2. Clean two or three wood fruit crates or wine boxes using soap and water and allow the wood to dry completely.

3. Lay one fruit crate on its side, with the open end facing toward you.

4. Apply a thin layer of glue to the top of the crate.

5. Position a second crate on top of the first, with the open end also facing you.

6. Clamp the edges of the crate together with C-clamps. You may also place something heavy in the top crate, weighing it down to produce a tighter seal.

7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 if you have a third crate you want to use.

8. Allow the wood glue to cure completely. The amount of time this process takes will be indicated on the packaging. When the wood glue cures, the bookcase will be ready for use.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave the wood raw for a rustic look or sand and paint it for a more finished appearance.

• Decoupage the wood for a funky, eclectic appearance.