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Wanted: Book Storage

This project was exactly what I needed to add extra book storage to a few spots in our home:

• easy
• affordable
• simple appearance
• efficient use of space

The best part is that it’s mounted to the wall and takes up absolutely zero floor space!  How “crate” is that??

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We used one half of a crate to provide extra book storage upstairs in the nursery (above, on the left), and added two halves of a crate to an existing cabinet in our dining room (above, right).

I’m so pleased with the results!

How to Turn an Unfinished Wooden Crate
into Awesome Book Storage

1. We started with two unfinished wooden crates from JoAnn Fabrics–about $12 each (or less, with a coupon!).

2. Mr. Native Texan carefully cut the crates in half and sanded the edges a bit to prevent splinters.

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3. Next, he added a bottom to the interior of each crate half, from scrap wood.  (Otherwise, books would slide right through the slats on the bottom of the crates!)

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5. Finally, we added keyhole brackets to the sides/backs of each crate half.  (I forgot to take a picture of that part, but you can see an example here.)

6. The crates were ready for hanging!

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Extra Details

Our book storage crates need to withstand lots of abuse from little hands, so we wanted them to be super-sturdy.  We used drywall anchors to mount the crate on the nursery wall, and strong drywall screws for the white crates added to our dining room cabinet.

For more detailed instructions, check out this post from IHeartOrganizing: Great Crate Book Storage.

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What a Crate Idea!

I love our wooden book storage crates, and am constantly on the lookout for other spots in the house that could benefit from additional crates.

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What about you–could use extra book storage at your house?  Do you have any easy and affordable ideas to share?  Like I always say: There’s no such thing as too much storage space, especially when it comes to books!

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