When Don was a year old, I added an Ikea AVDALA bookcase to his nursery to help conquer toy clutter (can you just die over how little he was?! Just me? Ok 😉 ). Since then, I’ve wanted to customize the bookcase to look like a little house and make it special. Here is the inspiration:
the inspiration
Home Library Bookcase from Land of Nod $300
The bookcase from Ikea was super cheap- $19.99, but since then has gotten even cheaper, its now $15.99! If you have the tools on hand, this project should cost you around $30! Fortunately, this is a very affordable DIY!
the supplies
- Ikea AVDALA bookcase
- 24″x30″ piece of particle board
- Jig saw
- Nail gun
- Spackle for nail holes
- White Paint for the front of the house (I used what I had on hand- Delicate White by Olympic)
- Blue Paint for the back of the bookcase (I used what I had on hand- Sea Glass by Martha Stewart– get it at Home Depot. They can mix it with Glidden paint)
instructions
First off, cut your board down to 25 /8″ W x 20″ H so that it fits flush width wise and goes halfway down on the bookcase.
Next, draw a circle and two triangles on your board. Or you can make any shape you want. This is where you get to be creative!
After that, cut out the shapes with your jigsaw.
To get the circle shape, start in the middle and work your way out
Use a nail gun to attach the wood to the front of the bookcase
Fill the nail holes with Spackle.
Finally, paint the front of the house white and the inside any color you want (I went with a mint color to match the crib)
And just like that, you have a customized bookcase!
How cute is this little bookcase?!
It feels so good to have a vision that’s been in my head for a few years finally come to life!
Don has been reading his books even more now, so I consider it a win!
I put the books in rainbow order and it seriously is the best! Why didn’t I do this sooner?! Want to see a fun gif with how I styled the shelves?
how to style a kids bookcase
The bookcase is usually next to the rocking chair since it is such a small room. Below, you can see how it looks everyday:
So friends, what do you think? Isn’t that a fun, quick, and super satisfying makeover?! We had all of the materials on hand, so it was a free DIY for us! It only took my husband and I a few hours between the cutting and painting. It looks so cute in his room and I love that he has a piece made just for him. Ikea hack for the win!
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Great hack! I love it. Perfect for a little doll house too!
That is such a great idea! I didn’t even think of that- cheapest dollhouse ever!