My husband and I wanted a cute and low profile way to display all the books for our soon to be baby and we decided to custom make some book shelves that fit our space perfectly.

These were super easy to make and only took a couple of hours from start to finish and it all uses just some scrap 1/2" plywood that we had in our garage.

I recommend making them in bulk because I really got a rhythm going and was able to make 6 of them in 1 day! You can also easily customize them to any size depending on the space you have in your room.

Supplies

1/2" sheet of plywood

table saw

router

pin nailer

sand paper

wood glue

stain and sealer

Step 1: Cut List

Using 1/2" plywood and a table saw (or whatever method of cutting you choose) cut out this list of items.

You can multiply this by however many shelving units you want to create.

1 - 22" x 5"

1 - 22" x 2.5"

1 - 22" x .5"

1 - 22" x 1"

2 - 5" x 3.5"

Step 2: Routing Edges

Use a router so round off the edges of the plywood. Make sure to only route off the edges that are exposed. I have included pictures of the sides that I routed. The Red marks are the fronts of the boards and the Purple are the back sides.

I used a 1/4" round over bit to create the rounded edge.

Optional: Use some sandpaper to sand any rough edges.

Step 3: Glue and Nail Sides

Start by putting glue along the one of the edges of the bottom piece to attach it to the back piece.

Use a pin nailer to attach the back to the bottom. We used about 4 nails across the bottom.

Next attach each side. Make sure the routered edges are facing outward and not on the edges that you are gluing.

Step 4: Glue Front

I did not use any nails for the front piece so that there aren't any holes showing. Put glue along the front side of the bottom piece and attach the front edge. Use clamps to make sure it is secure in place. Keep clamped until glue is dry.

Step 5: Nail in the Bar

Use a ruler to measure 2 inches up from the front piece as shown in the picture. Use this to mark where to place the bar. We used the line to mark the bottom edge of the bar, but you can space this however high or low that you like.

Use the pin nailer to put one nail on each side.

Step 6: Stain and Finish

I used a stain and sealer combo so I only needed to brush on one layer of the stain. Let dry overnight and then you are ready to attach it to the wall!