How to Make Leaning Bookcases

Leaning bookcases are a stylish way to store books and other odds and ends in your living area. With a few 1-by-4-inch boards and a piece of plywood, you can build your own leaning bookcase. The bookcase leans because its shelves are increasingly shorter from from the case's bottom to top. You can make the bookcase as large as you like, as long as each shelf's measurement differs from the shelves directly above and below by about 2 inches.

Things You'll Need

• 4 wood boards, 1 inch by 4 inches by 8 feet
• Measuring tape
• Circular saw
• Safety goggles
• Sandpaper
• Plywood board, 1 by 60 by 36 inches
• Drill
• Drill bit
• Dowels, 1 inch long
• Wood glue
• Damp towel
• 2 wood boards, 1 inch by 4 inches by 6 feet
• Nails
• Nail gun
• Paint or wood stain
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Cut four 1-inch-by-4-inch-by-8-foot wood boards into 15 smaller sized boards with a circular saw. Make five 34-inch long boards, two 8-inch long boards, two 10-inch long boards, two 12-inch long boards, two 14-inch long boards and two 16-inch long boards. Wear safety goggles while you use the circular saw. Sand the cut wood if necessary.

2. Cut a plywood board that is 1 by 60 by 36 inches into five shelf pieces. Make one piece 16 by 32 inches and another piece 14 by 32 inches. Cut a third piece so it is 12 by 32 inches, and make a fourth piece 10 by 32 inches. Cut the final piece to 8 by 32 inches.

3. Drill three 1/2-inch deep holes on each side of the plywood shelf pieces. Drill five 1/2-inch deep holes on the back of each shelf piece. Use a drill bit that is the same thickness as the 1-inch long dowels you will use.

4. Drill three 1/2-inch deep holes on one 4-inch side of each 1-by-4-inch board, except for the 34-inch long boards. When you press the 1-by-4-inch boards against the sides of the shelves, the holes should line up evenly.

5. Drill five 1/2-inch deep holes on one 4-inch side of the 34-inch long 1-by-4-inch boards. The holes should align with the holes on the back of the shelf pieces.

6. Squeeze a small amount of wood glue into the holes on the shelf pieces. Push a 1-inch long dowel into each hole. Coat the top of each dowel with some glue, and then push the 1-by 4-inch boards onto the dowels, using the 1-by-4-inch boards that match the width of the shelves. For example, use the 16-inch boards on the sides of the 16-inch shelf. Place the 34-inch boards along the back of each shelf. When finished, you'll have five shelves that look like small boxes with three short sides and no top. Wipe away excess glue with a damp towel.

7. Mark the center of the sides of the 16-inch wide shelf, with a pencil.

8. Stand the 6-foot long 1-by-4-inch boards vertically. Measure 6 inches from the bottom of each of those boards, and make a mark at that location in the center on both 4-inch sides. Line up these marks with the marks on the 16-inch long shelf so that you have what looks like a bookcase with a single shelf.

9. Push a 2-inch long nail through the mark on the outside of the 1-by-4-inch board with a nail gun, attaching the 16-inch long shelf to the boards. Put two more nails in each board, spaced 1 inch apart, to hold the shelf securely.

10. Measure 12 inches up from the 16-inch shelf on the boards, and make a mark in the center of each 4-inch side. Measure 6 inches from the back of the 14-inch shelf, and draw a mark on each side of the shelf. Attach the 14-inch shelf to the 1-by-4-inch boards at the marks, using three nails on each side.

11. Repeat the procedure to attach the three remaining shelves. Mount each shelf so that 8 inches extends to the front. The back of the top shelf will be flush with the wall where you place the bookcase.

12. Apply paint or wood stain on shelf using a paintbrush, and let it dry overnight.

13. Lean the bookcase against the wall, and stack books and other objects on its shelves.

References

• The Family Handyman; Leaning Tower of Shelves
• Design Sponge: Kate's Leaning Shelf