Hanging Bookshelf – Boys’ Bedroom

Hanging bookshelf boys bedroom

The.last.bedroom.project. Done! On man, I am so glad! The hanging bookshelf in the boys bedroom was FUN. I crazy love reading and so do *some* of my children. The moment you walk in our front door there is a new giant bookshelf. It’s important to me that each bedroom in the house has a space dedicated to reading. Last week I finished the desk and this bookshelf completes the room (if my kids ever clean it). My oldest son is 12 and sadly has grown out of trucks and trains but still shares a room with his younger bro. So with the room, and this bookshelf in particular, I tried to find a balance between the two kids and I think this hanging bookshelf is just the ticket.

The hanging bookshelf inspiration came from a bookshelf I saw on Amazon. It is cool, I wanted the kids’ bookshelf to be both bigger and cheaper, and well, cooler. I think I accomplished all objectives. The bookshelf cost just under $30 for the materials and is much larger than the one sold online. And it was much, much easier to build than a traditional bookshelf, huge win all around!

Materials:

• Wood board, I used knotty alder. Select a board with ample length and width according to how big you want to build your bookshelf.
• Wood Stain
• Rope of your choice
• Drill and drill bit
• piping: technically called a flange, elbow, steel pipe Make sure all of these pieces are the same size, I used 3/4″. *Bonus tip, at your hardware store the pipe can cut to whatever length you need and re-thread the piece. One long steel pipe is cut into three smaller ones, for example.
• Stud finder
• Level
• 8 screws, drywall sockets if needed

How to build a hanging bookshelf:

Select, size, and cut boards. I used knotty Alder because it’s cheap! About $1.50 board foot. Any wood board will work, just make sure the depth is what you need. These are about 9″ wide, which works for kid’s books and shelves. I put these boards through the planer and sanded them because I was matching the boys’ desk. If you’re going for rustic, don’t sand, embrace the roughness!

Stain the boards. Again, I was matching the desk, so I used dark walnut stain.

Next, Drill holes for the rope, two on each end, four per board. Mark 1.5″ from the end and 2″ inches from the front. I drilled with a 3/4″ bit. To avoid measuring and to ensure the holes are even for each shelf make a little jig out of scrap wood. It’ll make the job much faster.

(Optional) I wanted the screws to match the piping but because they were purchased separately the flange was gray and the screws bright silver. This is just a personal preference, but it makes a difference in the finished look. Spray paint to the rescue. The easiest way to spray paint a screw is poke a screw into a piece of cardboard so the heads are all showing and spray away! If you use cardboard the screw heads will be facing up and you won’t get paint on the thread.

Now the piping, let’s have a moment of silence for these sticky beasts. Obviously, not designed for home decor use the pipes come with an insane amount of sticky, blackness on them. Before you rip all your hair out trying to clean these messy devils, have heart! You can clean the pipes with mineral spirits and a scrub brush.

Hang the piping. Use a level and carefully mark the holes! Use a stud finder to make sure you’re drilling into a stud. My spacing didn’t line up with the studs in the wall so I sunk a drywall screw first, then screw in the base. *I assembled the whole pipe hanging, flange, straight, and elbow pieces and then attached the screws to the drywall dry wall screw holdings. It was a two-person job. Actually a one person, one kid job (the holder), that’s how we roll around here.

Lastly, hang the rope! This is so fun! Space the rope however you’d like. I used a simple knot, but if you wanna get fancy there are tons of how-to-tie-knot videos on the boy scout website (we’re kind-of scouters around here).

Use a level as you go.

After all the shelves are up, it’s time to decorate. Viola! Hanging bookshelf is done!

Not bad right? I love how this little corner of the room turned out. This hanging bookshelf is awesome because I can adjust it how I want and it was quicker to build than a traditional shelf and much, much cheaper. Plus I think it goes in the room with its industrial vibe. My eight year old says it’s a pirate-y vibe, but I’m going with awesome industrial for sure!

Happy Creating!