Inverted Bookshelf

The inverted bookshelf turns a bit of your living room upside down as it hangs all of the books from the bottom instead of supporting them from below. It's a satisfying optical trick and doesn't damage any of the books. In fact, you can take books in and out of it whenever you want.

Step 1 Materials

In addition to the basic materials for a shelf of wood and brackets, you will also need elastic webbing and a staple gun. The elastic that I'm using here can stretch beyond 200% of its original size and is certainly strong enough to hold the books here.

optional: glue gun

Comments

[trochee]

I just combined this Instrutable with another one, and it looks really cool.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Invisible-Book-Shelf/

I now have books hanging off a book with books stacked on top of it!

[trochee]

Here are pictures of my final product. I painted the invisible shelves with acrylic paint and a glue gun. Since the book's cardboard cover was easy to pierce with the staples, the project was easy as pie. I would recommend, when creating the invisible shelves, to screw through the outer cover, since the weight of the hanging books will just peel the cover down. I used an elastic band instead, but in hindsight it would be easier to use screws.

[cowscankill]

Wait... how did you paint an invisible shelf? I can't really tell what in the picture is painted...

[trochee]

lol

[Foaly7]

Awesome fusion of instructables (I call that type of project Fusibles), dude!

[bassclarinet23]

Awesome.

[goldenshuttle]

smart and cool. good job man

[Lil wenchie]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashable/20-insanely-creative-bookshelves?awesm=awe.sm_5I9aF%2F&utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=RHSocialMedia

I love this project and will definitely make one when I get my own place. Also, it's famous. See number 17

[Shujon]

Nice work there... what other things we can put upside down :D

[lemaisonbelle]

FYI - the Michael Chabon book in your photo is worth up to $600 if it's a first edition...or was...

[zebede5]

Little Brother is possible my favorite book of all time.

[wobbler]

I thought all the bookshelves in Australia were like this?

[nevertback]

lol

[sofiyyullah]

@ richelton -Nice one.How dou you get the hooks?

[Lohkee]

Your project kicks ASK!!!
That's awesome - and it'll make any guest think twice - LOVE IT!!!!

[agood3]

You get awesome points for having Little Brother on the Shelf. I'm reading that now!!!

[fungus amungus]

Thanks! That was a fun book to read. Did you know he's working on the sequel right now?

[fmachado1]

How did you hide elastic???

[Mr. D.]

Open the front cover, insert book, close front cover.

[Electronics Man]

AWSOME!

[R0y4L]

I was so amazed by this idea, I decided to make one too :) It looks awesome. This is my shelf :)

[sfurqan]

rubish idea

[fungus amungus]

Cool!

[fruitkid101]

I know this sounds completely un-knowing, like entry-level stuff, but where do I get elastic?

[sfurqan]

from ur pajama

[Murphys Laws]

Any fabric or craft store, Walmart, Fred Meyer... Even some grocery stores. Look in the sewing notions.

[Saturn V]

When in doubt, Google it!

[baustin]

You could probably add a couple bookends to this and use them to stabilize the shelf or even attach to the wall

[sugarfuss]

What I'd find really cool is to add the L brackets to the underside in general, just like a normal book shelf. Then place half of your books on the underside, just like you described it (which is totally awesome by the way) and then also place some books on the top, just like a normal book shelf. I think this would make the effect even better. and saves a lot of space if you have many books.

[cmartinez3]

I thought the exact same thing!

[project dude]

this is instructable gold!!!!

[Saturn V]

You can also combine that with the invisible bookshelf idea, and no one will be able to puzzle it out...Well, except for an Instructables member.

[budji3]

I agree!

[squante]

This is brilliant! It even gives you room to put stuff on top of it :D

[allthegoodnamesaretaken]

You get full points for Godel, Escher, Bach. One of my favorites.

[Freelog]

Just genius!

[Dumchicken]

thats just showing off

[cositasbonitas]

amazing!!!!! thank you for sharing us!!!!

[guitarist996]

this is an AWESOMAZINGALOFAGUS idea... now if only i read books... and with my crazy imagination, itd look so crazy!

[Foaly7]

I vote that someone should try to make a storebought bookshelf, like the Mainstays brand that you buy at Walmart into a full set of inverted bookshelves.