Book shelf? ...what book shelf?

This could be a great magic trick instructable but I decided to stick with its real purpose of putting book cover artwork on display.

I have tons and tons of case-bound books with very artistic covers which are packed away in boxes, hidden away in bookcases or that are on shelves or covered up by other books or magazines.

Finding clear space on a shelf or table to stand a book up so that both sides can be seen is a challenge but not so much of a challenge when walls and doors are recruited to make viewing covers possible instead.

Here then is an instructable of how to display the artistic covers of a book when space on a table or shelf is not available for displaying, by using a door or wall to display book covers instead.

Step 1: First, get yourself a case-bound book with some artistic covers

If you paid as much money for textbooks as I did, which are now very much out of date, you may at least have the consolation of the artwork provided by the publisher on the covers

If you are in need of books to use for this project then ask your school or local librarian if she (or he) can provide you with any that have been withdrawn from circulation. Once a book in a library looses favor among readers you can usually get the artwork for free.

Comments

[LinuxH4x0r]

Nice! Great fro something you don't use often. Mine just go on the floor or in boxes.

[watermelon]

If you are not interested in displaying covers but just in getting your books out of boxes then you can use wood strips, either inlaid in the drywall or laid on top to span the studs. The hooks can then be mounted much closer to form a "shelf-less" shelf of books. This is the project I'm working on now but it going very slowly and takes lots of spare time to get every book aligned. Definitely a project for permanently retired books.

[greatpanda]

how about a floating shelf? Take a hollow-core door and cut it in half(or less), then screw the hollow part to a 2x2 which is already screwed to the wall.

[angelslink]

Can you give more detail for this for a simple minded crafter pleas? I would like to try and use this idea for a headboard for a double bed that I am going to make from a design I found here. Thank you.

[greatpanda]

 www.wikihow.com/Build-Simple-Floating-Shelves, I thought it was an instructable, but I was mistaken. Enjoy!

[LinuxH4x0r]

I have tons of slightly scratched hollow doors ($1 from menards), and I just might do that.

[cowscankill]

Hmm. I like it. But is there a variation that does not require metal?

[bored_teen]

you were really close but off by 5

[watermelon]

Its not my fault... our teacher told us using calculaters and spelrs would make our minds go limp so I stoped using a calulater or seller. ;D

[shooby]

hahaha

[hcold]

I imagine this would be so much easier if you just used clear perspex, attached to the wall using dry wall screws and making a mini-bookshelf out of it. Or I could be full of crap.

[watermelon]

I see no reason why you could not make a back to back rolled edge corner brace using sheet steel mounted to a stud or to a mounting plaque that would be hidden from view inside the book and serve well as a shelf. The required thickness of plastic to do the job of steel might be a problem. Also plastic has a very nasty habit of being too flexible to keep its original position or shape when a little weight is added. Sometimes the only way to find out if an idea is any good is just to save up the funds and do it.

[harryrooster]

That's some impressive math skills

[wompastompa]

that's some impressive grammar skills :P

[gmjhowe]

i like this idea, tho i cant help trying to figure out a way to make like something that would allow u to place the book on a shelf or something.

[watermelon]

There are several ways but I have not decided which one yet to publish first. Although not as portable, this one is the easiest and uses the least materials when you do not need to include the steps required for a large and heavy book.

[watermelon]

Okay, I decided which one to start with... its the Book Hook. Enjoy!

[apache31]

Am I seeing things, or is that a vagina in the pic on step 3?

[uglybagofmostlywater]

Is that what your's looks like? Nice.

[Maccaro]

it would appear to be a bulb or plant.

[dowhaticanwithwhatigot]

meant wall, not shelf - no shelf involved.

[dowhaticanwithwhatigot]

waaaay too much trouble for displaying a book, or 50... It's much easier to simply measure the width of the pages only and the binding bewteen two books and place then together on a shelf with each book setting on its own measured and angled stand. I'm working on the instructable for it now.

[darkmuskrat]

I might do something like this for my gundam model boxes :P

[Gnome]

The number you get on step 6 should be 1526, not 1521. Other than that, great instructable!

[watermelon]

He he... no wonder it's a bit lopsided...

[GorillazMiko]

Very cool Instructable! This is an awesome idea! Looks kind of like a lot of work, but it's worth it, it looks awesome. :P Nice job!

[watermelon]

For lighter books and paperbacks you can use a closed eye hook and a length of monofilliment that has been looped several times between the middle pages and the back of the book (paperback) or between the liner and the back (case-bound) and tied at the head and tail to reduce the chance of cutting through the headband or crash. You can then place the closed book against the wall centered over the hook and then tighten the monofilliment using a slip knot followed with a Fisherman's knot to secure it. Only the really heavy stuff needs the backing and hanger rod or a super strong hanger loop.

[hydrnium.h2]

What if you made it into one of those wall lamps?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

very cool idea. Good work!

[Kiteman]

You can still lift the books down to read them? That's cool.

[watermelon]

Yes, if you are careful in doing it. Rarely would I mount a book this way that I needed periodically. Mainly for displaying very artful covers or topics you want to be reminded about whenever you pass by, or to wow visitors.

[wolfsingleton]

Seen others that are the same but put the book(s) horizontal and use the book as a shelf. First vertical one I've seen though, nice. This would be an awesome trick to do if you added a book cover that said something like "how to make objects levitate" or "how to build invisible furniture".

[watermelon]

...yeah, or like "HELP! ...someone stole my shel l l l l l l l f f f f f f f f f f...." Thanks for the idea. I'll use it sometime.

[Johnsons on fire]

Sweet dude...

[watermelon]

Thanks...