How to Make a Little Free Library.

A Little Free Library is a publicly accessible storage space for books, used to share them with a community. Anyone can come up to a Little Free Library and take a book, leave a book, or just browse.

I built this Little Free Library for my Chief Scout Award. Building a Little Free Library is a great way for Scouting groups, students, or anyone else to provide service to their communities.

Supplies

To make this Little Free Library, you will need:

An 8ft by 4ft sheet of plywood, thickness of around a 1/2 inch.

A sheet of Plexiglass for the window; it must be larger than the desired window size.

A set of hinges.

A door handle.

Caulk.

Screws.

A screwdriver.

A drill.

A pencil.

A caulking gun.

Something to cut the wood with.

A tape measure.

Clamps.

Step 1: Cut Out the Floor

Cut a 30cm by 60cm piece out of your plywood; this will be your floor.

Step 2: Cut Out the Front and Back

Cut two 60cm by 60cm pieces from your plywood. Pick a piece and make a mark halfway (30cm) down one of the edges, then repeat halfway (30cm) down both of the neighboring edges. Draw lines from the first mark to the other two, then cut along those lines. The resulting piece should look like a shield or house.

Repeat with the other piece.

Step 3: Cut Out the Door

Pick one of the pieces you made in step 2 and designate it as the Front. Take it and cut out a space for the door. (This can be difficult, a good method is to drill large holes at the corners and then cut with a jigsaw.) Leave at least 5cm along the edges for hinges and for structural strength. Save the piece you cut out. Since it's already the right size, it will be your door.

Step 4: Cut Out the Sides.

Cut out two pieces that are 30cm long and 30cm minus twice the thickness of your wood wide. (For example, if your wood is 2cm thick, they would be 30cm by 26cm.) These pieces will be the sides.

Step 5: Cut Out the Roof Pieces.

Cut out a 35cm by 45cm piece, then cut out another piece that is 35cm wide by 45cm minus the thickness of your wood long. They need to be like this so that they can overlap at the peak. These pieces will join together to be the roof.

Step 6: Create the Door.

Take the piece you cut out of the Front. This will be your door. Cut out a window (it must be at least 1.5cm shorter than your sheet of Plexiglass, in both width and length), leaving at least 3cm (or more, depending on how much space your hinges, plexiglass, and handle need) on all sides. Attach the hinges to the door but do not attach the door to the frame yet.

Step 7: Drill Pilot Holes.

Drill pilot holes (small holes that help guide a screw into place) in some of the pieces. Drill four along the long edges of the Floor (eight total), three along each of the 30cm edges of both the front and back (six per piece, twelve total). Evenly spread out the holes. To help centre the holes, take a piece of plywood, hold it flush against the edge where you need to make the holes, and draw a line down the inside seam created. This highlights the zone where pieces will attach, making it much easier to align the holes.

Step 8: Attach the Floor and Back.

Lay the back piece down flat, then place the floor against it perpendicularly. Screw four screws through the pilot holes in the floor into the back.

Step 9: Add a Side.

Add one of the side pieces, screwing it in via the pilot holes in the back piece. Ensure that the side piece is oriented so that the shorter edge touches the floor, and the longer edge touches the back.

Step 10: Add the Other Side.

Screw in the other side, exactly like in the last step.

Step 11: Attach the Front Part 1

Put the front piece into place, then screw it into the sides. Add four more screws through the pilot holes in the floor.

Step 12: Attach the Front Part 2

More pictures.

Step 13: Caulk All Interior Seams

Add beads of caulk along the interior seams. (Forgot to take a picture for this step.)

Step 14: Attach the Door.

Take the door and attach it to the frame, in whatever manner your hinges require. Try opening and closing the door. You may need to sand down the door or frame to make it fit.

Step 15: Add the Window and Handle.

Cut the sheet of Plexiglass to be a few centimeters longer and wider than the opening for the window. Run a thin bead of caulk around the backside of the window. Press the Plexiglass into place, then clamp it to keep it still. Wait for the caulk to dry, then add your handle in the required manner.

Step 16: Add a Door Stop.

Screw a small piece of plywood to the upper corner of the door frame, on the inside. This will prevent the door from over-swinging to the inside

Step 17: Drill Pilot Holes for the Roof.

Take the shorter roof piece and hold it in place against the front and back, being sure to centre it. Draw lines along the the seams formed with the front and back, highlighting the contact points. Drill three pilot holes in each highlighted zone, evenly spaced out.

Repeat with the longer roof piece.

Step 18: Attach the Roof.

Put the roof pieces back in place, placing the outlined areas over the contact points withe the front and back. Be sure the longer roof piece overlaps the shorter one at the peak. Screw them in through the pilot holes.

Step 19: Caulk the Roof

Run a bead of caulk along the the seam of the roof pieces (make sure it gets in the cracks), then add more caulk where the roof sits on the front and back.

Step 20: Additional Improvements.

There are many more things you can you to your Little Free Library: decorations, weather-proofing (if it's going to be outside), lights, etc. Add what ever else you like. I added wood stain and varnish.

Step 21: Done!

You now have your Little Free Library. Mount it wherever and however you like. I mounted mine on a post placed in a flower pot full of rocks.