A few months after moving into our apt, my wife and I quickly realized that our stuff was taking over what little space we had! So, instead of simply buying everything premade, we decided to embrace our inner DIY and build a bookcase that not only fit our style and budget, but most importantly, made the most efficient use of our quickly dwindling spaces.
The best part about this is that the finished product will meet your SPECIFIC needs versus buying something premade and hoping it's not too big, or too small. Often times the items you want to store don't fit or the piece you buy simply doesn't look the way you want it to. Regardless of what your skill level or previous experience is, you can always be sure that designing/building your own furniture is a satisfying way to achieve exactly what you want and to be proud of it as well!
MATERIALS NEEDED:
TOOLS NEEDED:
It should go without saying that when working with any tools, you remember to use them properly and safely. That includes the use of goggles, earplugs, and face masks when necessary. If you don't know how to use the tools properly, please take the time to learn! Ok, with that said...let's get to it!
The best part about this is that the finished product will meet your SPECIFIC needs versus buying something premade and hoping it's not too big, or too small. Often times the items you want to store don't fit or the piece you buy simply doesn't look the way you want it to. Regardless of what your skill level or previous experience is, you can always be sure that designing/building your own furniture is a satisfying way to achieve exactly what you want and to be proud of it as well!
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- ~36' of 1x10 pine boards
- wood screws
- wood glue
- wood stain
- wood sealer
- something to apply the stain with (rags, brushes, foam pads, etc.)
- 56 small brass shelf brackets
- varying grits of sandpaper (150-400 should be enough)
TOOLS NEEDED:
- saw (circular, miter, hand...whatever is available to you)
- drill
- screwdriver
- clamps
- small level
It should go without saying that when working with any tools, you remember to use them properly and safely. That includes the use of goggles, earplugs, and face masks when necessary. If you don't know how to use the tools properly, please take the time to learn! Ok, with that said...let's get to it!
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Signing UpStep 1: A LITTLE PLANNING GOES A LONG WAY!
Before you start hacking away at your freshly bought lumber, take the time to figure out what you want your finished project to look like. An extra half hour spent on this step will save you loads of work, money, and aggravation in the end...trust me.
It helps to measure out the area you want to use. Then go up from there. Once you have your final design, you can start to measure out the total amount of lumber. For this project I kept the divisions simple at 1', so i simply counted them up, accounted for the wood thickness* where it was needed, and got about 35.5' in total. At this point you may want to break down the lumber into individual pieces you want to buy.
So, instead of thinking "ok i need 40", so i'll just buy 4 10' pieces", do a little math and actually map out what size pieces you need and then price out a few different options. After getting the measurements on EACH piece, i figured i could get all my cuts in with 6 6' pieces for the least amount of money. This will greatly help you reduce waste wood in the end and may save you time and money from going out to buy extra.
*the difference between nominal wood sizes (2x4, 1x8, etc) and the actual wood sizes will vary from piece to piece due to moisture evaporation and planing the wood flat. Typically, you can expect anywhere from 1/4"-1/2" difference between the nominal and actual sizes (see here for a chart on nominal vs actual wood sizes). For this reason it's always important to keep that in mind when planning a project and to measure the lumber once you buy it to verify.
It helps to measure out the area you want to use. Then go up from there. Once you have your final design, you can start to measure out the total amount of lumber. For this project I kept the divisions simple at 1', so i simply counted them up, accounted for the wood thickness* where it was needed, and got about 35.5' in total. At this point you may want to break down the lumber into individual pieces you want to buy.
So, instead of thinking "ok i need 40", so i'll just buy 4 10' pieces", do a little math and actually map out what size pieces you need and then price out a few different options. After getting the measurements on EACH piece, i figured i could get all my cuts in with 6 6' pieces for the least amount of money. This will greatly help you reduce waste wood in the end and may save you time and money from going out to buy extra.
*the difference between nominal wood sizes (2x4, 1x8, etc) and the actual wood sizes will vary from piece to piece due to moisture evaporation and planing the wood flat. Typically, you can expect anywhere from 1/4"-1/2" difference between the nominal and actual sizes (see here for a chart on nominal vs actual wood sizes). For this reason it's always important to keep that in mind when planning a project and to measure the lumber once you buy it to verify.
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Great ible by the way. Really appreciate if you have some more pics of the intermediate assembly steps.
But if you have any specific questions on anything i'd be more than happy to answer them:)