Introduction: Hide Your Messy Bookshelf With Ikea Panels

The purpose of this project is to build some cheap, light and removable panels to hide a messy bookshelf or use as a door.
This instructable can also be used to build a paint from a good designed fabric

NEW: I published the instructable of the whole attic

Step 1: Materials

  • Meter
  • White or transparent Silicone glue
  • 'U' shaped aluminium bars
  • White alveolar polypropyllene (plexiglass)
  • Cutter and scissors
  • ikea fabric (it's very cheap! about 4 euros for square meter)
  • staples gun (manual)
  • tape

Step 2: Measure Your Bookshelf and Cut the Plexiglass

Measure the size of your bookshelf and do a scaled down version on a paper. Cut out white pieces of paper of the (scaled down) size you think you will cut panels to have a preview of how the work will results. If you have pictures of the fabric (I downloaded from the ikea website) you can also print a colored version of the panels to have a better preview of the final result.

I used scissors and a cutter to cut the shape on the plexiglass. This material is quite soft and cutting is definetly not an hard work (the result are quite precise and neat, as you can see in the photo)

Step 3: Cut the Fabric

Use the just cutted plexiglas as a reference to cut the shape.
Remember to cut the fabric a bit bigger than the plexiglass.

Turn the exceeding fabric around the plexiglass and fix to it with same tape

Step 4: Fix the Fabric to the Plexiglass

Once you are satisfied by your work (the fabric is correctly tensioned and oriented) you can fix it with the staples gun.

Follow all the edges and put a lot of staples (they are quite invisible) to give to your piece some durability.

Step 5: Add Strenght to Your Panel (if Needed)

If your panel result a bit floppy, you can improve the rigidity attaching 2 or more wood sticks on the back of the panel. I used the silicone glue to fix the sticks to the plexiglass.

(Remember that silicone glue need at least 24 hours to do its job)

Step 6: Add the Panels Guides on the Bookshelf

- Cut the 'U' shaped aluminium bar so it fits to the width of the bookshelf
- Glue the bar at a constand distance from the edge of the bookshelf
- for every panel you need 2 bars: one on the bottom and one on the top
- to keep the top bar in place for 24 hours (the time needed by the silicone glue) use a wood stick

Step 7: Slide Panels Into the Bars

Slide the panels into the U shaped bars and enjoy the results. When you need to acces to the bookshelf you just slide the panel as needed