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How to Cover the Back of a Bookshelf

book shelf in progress

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I love this bookshelf, for many of my typical Decorate with Junk reasons: it’s real wood, {old wood}, is completely un-square {with bowed shelves}, came out of some guy’s garage and cost us just $15.

It’s also the perfect size for Older Brother’s bedroom, except that I wanted it to fill the space on the wall, which it definitely did not do when standing on the floor.

No problem; we’ll just hang the shelf on the wall.  Perfect!

Now it took up the visual space I wanted it to fill, but it was still lacking something.

Lights!  His room needed better lighting, and a pair of sconces flanking the cowboy painting would be just the thing.

I didn’t want to pay for or commit to electrical hardwiring, especially when there is an outlet directly below the shelves.  We found just what I had in mind–swing arm mini-lamps–at an affordable price, at Home Depot of all places.

The shelves had to be loosened from the wall just a bit, in order to drop the cords behind them.  In fact, we wound up not using the metal cord cover because it would have required us to remove the shelves completely and notch out the back of the top shelf.  That seemed a bit more complicated than we’d bargained for, so in the end we just dropped the cord covers behind the shelf so that the cords are exposed from the lamps down to the top shelf.

Ideally, and in retrospect, I may have opted to go ahead and complete the necessary steps for using the metal cord covers.  But it all turned out okay, and I’m pleased with the end results.

Although the cords were mostly disguised by books and such, I could still see parts of them and it drove me crazy.  Plus, the bookshelf had always lacked a back.  And furthermore, I could also see parts of the metal brackets we’d used to attach the shelf to the wall.

So, when I saw Young House Love’s simple Faux Wallpaper The Back of Your Bookcase–project #1 on page 24 in their fun book, I knew it was just the ticket for Older Brother’s bookshelf.

I chose burlap because I love it and had some on hand, although you could use just about anything–fabric, wall paper, wrapping paper, etc.

Here’s what I did…

How to Cover the Back of a Bookshelf

1.  Measure the back of each space you wish to cover.

2.  Cut panels from stiff cardboard or thin wood to fit those spaces.  We used a combination of old paneling and cardboard.

3.  Label each piece, either with measurements and/or locations–top shelf, middle shelf, etc.

4.  Cut your fabric/paper/whatever to be several inches larger than your cardboard/wood.

Burlap Tip:  To make a straight cut through burlap, make yourself a guide line by pulling out one thread.

 

 

 

5.  Center cardboard/wood on top of fabric/paper.

6.  Use tape, glue or spray adhesive to secure the fabric/paper to the cardboard/wood.  (I used masking tape.)

7.  Insert wrapped panels into the proper openings.

 

See?  Now doesn’t that look much better?  I’m very pleased with the results–the burlap covered panels hide the cords and brackets, add texture without distracting and provide a much more polished look overall.

Hooray for easy, use-what-you-have, DIY projects!

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Kathleen | Roots & Boots

Let's get real! I’m Kathleen Henderson, your Natural Living Mentor. I’m on a mission to help families see the joy in real food, while finding natural remedies and creating a nontoxic home. Learn more about my story >>

2 Comments

  1. Renee Behringer on 10/29/2013 at 4:32 pm

    This looks great! How did you ensure that the bookshelf would not only be hung securely on the wall but also hold lots of books?

    • Kathleen on 11/06/2013 at 5:24 pm

      Renee–we used small metal L brackets and drywall screws (recommended by you-know-who), and made sure to hit a stud. The brackets are screwed to the underside of the top shelf, and then to the wall. I believe we also fastened a set of L brackets under one of the lower shelves, too. Hope that helps! (And sorry for my delayed response…somehow I missed your comment.)

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