Rather than throw it away, find a new purpose for your shelving with these helpful tips.

1. 9 Creative Ways to
Repurpose Your Shelves
Eugene Chrinian

2. 9 Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Shelves
 Repurposing household items allows you to bring new life to old furnishings and
instill a bit of creativity into your home. When we see these unwanted items, we
often opt to either sell them or throw them away. However, with the right do-it-
yourself knowledge, you can easily create new purposes for these objects.
 One type of furniture that’s perfect for such projects is shelves. Whether you have
simple shelving or large bookshelves, there are a number of ways you can
repurpose them into new and useful items.

3. Design a dollhouse.
 With only a few supplies, you can both
find a new use for your old bookshelf
and give your kids a new toy to play
with. The numerous compartments in
a shelving unit make it perfect for a
child’s DIY dollhouse. All this project
requires is the bookshelf itself, colorful
paper, and dollhouse items. Line each
of the individual shelves with different
colors of paper to create separate
“rooms” and decorate them with their
own furniture.

4. Install kitchen banquette seating.
 If you’re looking to add extra seating in the corner of your kitchen, use your old
shelves to create a floating banquette. Use the shelves’ brackets as a mount,
making sure that they are firmly adhered to the wall. After setting the shelves atop
the brackets, you can then paint both parts to fit the style of your kitchen. For an
added personal touch, sew your own seat cushions and pillows to set atop your
finished shelf banquette.

5. Set up a side table.
 Small bedrooms typically mean there’s little space for you to add many furnishings,
let alone a nightstand. Thankfully, it’s easy to create your own DIY nightstand using
some old shelving. Select one shelf that will fit your space and mount it to the wall
within easy reach of your bed. Paint it the same color as the wall for a sleek look, or
a contrasting color to make it pop.

6. Make a reading bench for your kids.
 You can repurpose a small bookshelf into a
useful, child-friendly reading bench. By
simply turning the shelf on its side, you can
create a handy seat and book storage unit
for your children to use for reading time.
However, you’ll need to glue or clamp the
shelves in place so they don’t fall out. After
securing the various pieces, you can paint
the shelving unit to mesh with the style of
your child’s room. In addition, make the
seating more comfortable by using Velcro
or glue to adhere a colorful cushion to the
top.

7. Hang a small vanity.
 Shelves are the key to creating a beautiful vanity that doesn’t take up too much
space in your room. You can easily hang an old shelf at desk level using anchored
brackets and repurposed table legs. With the addition of a mirror and a seat, you’ll
have the perfect surface to help you get ready in the morning.

8. Build a fabric container.
 If you’re looking for more storage for your craft room, you can turn a bookshelf
into a compartmentalized holder for all your supplies. Along with a fresh coat of
paint, add particle board to divide the shelves into smaller sections that can hold
more items. Having an open container for your fabrics will not only help you keep
them more organized—it will also add a pop of color to your room.

9. Mount your flower pots.
 Take an old shelf and create a new
purpose for it as a way to show off
your smaller potted plants. Cut large
holes in the shelf—one for each pot.
Make sure these openings are
smaller than the top of the pots so
they don’t fall through when you
place them in the hole. With a fresh
coat of paint and some shelf
brackets, you can then hang your
flower or herb pots in a creative, yet
organized, way.

10. Add storage beneath your bed.
 For a remarkably simple solution to a lack of storage beneath your bed, you can
use old bookshelves. Just set your shelves on their sides beneath the frame on both
edges of the bed, making sure to firmly attach your bed slats to the wood of the
bookshelf to prevent the frame from slipping off the top. When finished, this
simple repurposing project will create storage that is both stylish and practical.

11. Create a desk-bookshelf hybrid.
 It’s easy to repurpose a simple bookshelf into a double-use piece of furniture. With
an extra piece of plywood, you can create an attached desk by securing it to one of
the shelves and adding table legs to the protruding end. This will still allow you to
store items on the shelves while also providing ample workspace, even in a small
room. You can create a more finished look by adding a piece of plexi-glass to the
top of the desk.