As an international student on a budget, I don’t have the luxury to buy all the furniture I’d like to. Also, again, as a student, my room is almost always a mess, and some of my belongings are always sparse around my room. For those who can relate, a simple shoebox shelf is the perfect temporary solution! It’s inexpensive, you can be creative with it (hence it can serve as a useful decoration for your room) and it can also help to bring order to your room.

Step 1: Materials

Here's what you'll need:

A shoebox;
Kitchen knife;
Pen/Marker;
Paper of your choice (I used white A4 paper);
Scissors;
Tape;
Push pins;

Step 2: Cutting the Shoebox;

Using the knife, carefully cut off the cover of the shoebox. Of course, you don't need to worry about this step if the cover of the shoebox you're using is detached from the rest of the shoebox.

Next, using a marker or pen mark the edges of the preferred width. This will depend on what kind of stuff you’re thinking of putting on the shelf. Personally, I went for about 3/4th of the box because 1. it’s more spacious and 2. there are fewer chances for the stuff to fall over.

Next, using a knife, carefully cut the marked area following the marked edges.

Step 3: Applying the Paper

Now that you have your basic shelf ready, it’s time to cover the shoebox shelf with paper. I’ve used regular white A4 paper but you’re free to use whichever paper you like. Get creative!

Measure the dimensions of the box and cut the paper accordingly. Wrap it around the product tightly and then use tape to make it stick.

Step 4: Setting Up the Shelf

Once you’ve coated the box you’ll have a shoebox part resembling a shelf. Using push pins (this way damage to the wall will be minimal, since this is most probably just a temporary shelf), attach it to the desired part of the wall and start putting your belongings on top!

NOTES

There are many ways different ways to create these shelves. You can get as creative as you want, or not at all. If you want to put the shoebox just after cutting it, you’re free to do so. If you want to use different kinds of paper such as newspaper or colored construction paper, you’re free to do that as well. There is a wonderful Instructable I found while researching about this project, check it out! Here’s the link:Shoebox Shelves