Planning to Build a Bookcase

Furniture serves many important, essential functions for people the world over. In the last few thousand years, chairs, beds, desks, and tables have provided places to sit, eat, talk, work, gather, or sleep. Many people will spend more than a third of their lives in, at, or on furniture. It comes as no surprise, then, that humans have a unique relationship with this group of items they spend so much time around. In some ways, furniture has become a reflection of personality. When choosing furniture for their homes or offices, people are known to concentrate on design, giving it equal or greater weight than function and stability. Many people pass furniture items down from one generation to the next, keeping the item as a family heirloom.

When it comes to making your own furniture, the process can seem overwhelming. However, in this free video series, an artist and woodworker will break down the steps of such a process by showing you how to build a bookshelf. You'll learn what lumber and tools you'll need, how to sand the wood, and how to plan where screws will sit. You'll also learn how to connect the shelves, how to insert kick plates, fill in cracks, and how to plug the screw holes. With these tips and techniques, you'll be able to save money and gain pride by building your own bookshelf at home.