Wood Pallet Cross Tutorial

Wood Pallet Cross DIY @savedbyloves

Today’s project is a great way to use up those wood scraps leftover from previous projects. I will show you how to make this sturdy wood cross using pallet scraps and pocket holes. You will also learn how to easily create the chippy, distressed paint look seen here.

Wood Pallet Cross DIY

To start, I cut one scrap wood piece (2×4) to 18 inches and two pieces to 5 inches long.

I attached the 5 inch pieces to the 18 inch piece using pocket holes with my Kreg Jig (see How to Use Kreg Jig). The pocket holes are circled in the photo.

*Place a pocket hole on the bottom of the 18 inch piece for attaching the finished cross to a base. You want to do this before attaching the patchwork pieces in the next steps.

Folk Art Home Decor Chalk

I used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk to create the distressed paint look. It is super easy!

How to Distress Wood

I brushed base coat on thin pallet wood pieces and let that dry.

Create Chippy Paint Look

Using the Layering Block, I added more colors.

Create Weathered Wood Look with Paint

Lightly dragging the block across the dry painted board adds color in a chippy, random distressed fashion. Layer as many colors as you want, drying between each layer.

Patchwork Wood Cross

Once I had all the boardws painted, I cut them into random sized pieces and placed them on the cross. I made necessary cuts to the patchwork pieces with my mitre saw until everything fit into place.

Reclaimed Wood Projects

I glued the pieces into place and used my Ryobi AirStrike Nailer with one inch brads to secure them.

Reclaimed Wood Cross Tutorial

To finish, I centered the cross on a 2×4 rectangle and attached it with a pocket hole on the back of the cross and wood glue.

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ Scrap Wood Projects:

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects:

DIY Mudroom Storage Bench and Coat Rack

DIY Mudroom Storage Bench Free Woodworking Plans @savedbylovesOur laundry room is the high traffic area of the house. We go through it every time we come or go from the house. It had been crying out for a place to hang coats and to drop off “stuff” rather than haul it in and lay it on the kitchen table. One Saturday my husband decided that he was going to throw together some sort of a coat rack / bench that would serve our needs. Once he got me going on the idea it turned into a full blown re-do of the room. I have shown you the Free Laundry Room Printables and DIY Hardware Update, and today I am sharing how to make this fabulous mudroom bench/coat rack. This project was pretty easy once we got started, and cost under $150! We LOVE it. It is super handy, and it prompted us to paint and replace the floor in the room. It is now my favorite room in the house! On to the project.

Shopping List

1. 3/4-inch birch-veneer plywood to build the seat box. Get one 4×8 sheet.

2. exterior-grade beadboard plywood to make the back panel on the wall. One 4×4 sheet will cover the area.

3. 1×16 solid-wood panel to make the seat lid. Get one 6-foot board.

4. 1×12 solid-wood panel to make the fascia board and shelf. Get two 6-foot boards.

5. 2×4 to create a support strip for the hinges that hold the box lid. Get 6 feet.

6. 1×4 to create the applied paneling on the front and sides of the box. Get four 8-foot boards.

7. 1×2 to cap the unfinished top edges of the bench box. Get 10 feet.

8. 3/8×7/8-inch panel molding to add a picture-frame detail to the paneling on the box and to trim above and below the beadboard panel. Get five 8-foot lengths.

9. ½x1-inch parting bead to finish the edges of the beadboard plywood.

10. 3/4-inch quarter-round molding to trim the beadboard panel and the base of the box. Get 16 feet.11. ½x7/8-inch decorative shoe molding to trim out the shelf, seat lid, and fascia. Get three 8-foot lengths.

12. 9-inch shelf brackets

13. 2-inch L-brackets to secure the box to the floor. Get seven.

14. European cabinet hinges to allow the lid to overlay the box and open smoothly. Choose ones that are labeled “for frameless cabinets.” Get three.

15. Toy-box lid supports to keep the lid from slamming shut. Get two to support the weight of the lid.

16. 1 5/8-inch deck screws

17. 3½-inch deck screws

18. 2½-inch deck screws

19. 2-inch trim-head screws

20. 2d finish nails

21. 3d finish nails

22. carpenter’s glue

23. vinyl adhesive caulk

24. 180-grit sandpaper

25. Shims

 

 

THE BENCH

The bench I chose was modeled after a picture I saw of a classic entry hall built-in I saw on the This old house blog. It had everything we wanted; a place to sit, a place to store stuff, a shelf and plenty of coat hook space. All of this combined into a really nicely appointed, decorative piece that looks nice fits the room. We made adjustment to the plans to fit our needs where necessary. The dimensions were altered because our particular space required the bench to fit in a corner. Likewise, I changed a few pieces of the trim work to suit our taste. The shopping list I’m going to provide you will cover the better part of your project for the size bench we used. If you decide you want to expand or alter to fit your room then you might need to modify your purchase list accordingly. Here’s the one I used to start.

  1. Build and trim out the bench seat:

 

I found the best spot in my laundry room was in one of the corners. So the first thing I did was take up the baseboard around the entire room. Next I just built a simple plywood box that would become the bench. No need to put a bottom in it. The box dimensions for my particular spot turned out to be 451/2 inches wide by 18 1/4 inches deep by 16-3/4 inches tall. Build this box out of ¾ inch “good-one-side” plywood. Try to get the box to sit as level on the floor as possible and fasten through the back into the studs in the wall using 2.5 inch deck screws. Just a couple or three places will be plenty. The Top of the box (which will be the bench seat is going to be made from the same ¾ inch plywood. It will need to overhang the box by about ½ inch on the front and the sides. But it will not go all the way to the back. ( you will see why later) Also, if your situation is like mine, where the bench will butt up against a wall in the corner, the top wont overlap on that side. So the dimension of my Top piece was 46 ½ by 16 inches.

 

  1. Install the hinge support

Using a miter-saw, cut a 2×4 to fit the inside of the box along the back wall. Cut a 3½-inch-wide strip of plywood to the same length. Screw the pieces together with 15/8-inch deck screws. Position the 2×4 assembly along the back of the box, 3/4 inch above the back edge. Screw it on, through the box and into the studs, using 3½-inch deck screws. This piece will later be hidden by a plywood strip and molding. This is why the top is not as deep as the whole box. This is where the hinges are going to fasten.
Screw L-brackets inside the box and to the floor, three inside the front edge and two on each side, to hold the box in place.

  1. Attach the panel molding to the seat.Next, I trimmed out the front and the one visible side of my box with 1 x 4 boards. This gives the box a dimensional, shadow box appearance. Cut the 1 x 4 so that the long pieces fit inside the two shorter upright pieces. This way you don’t see a cut edge. To create a profile on the inner edge of the 1×4 framing, cut panel molding to fit inside the 1×4 rectangles. Miter the ends of the molding. Nail the molding to the box, tight against the 1x4s, with 2d nails.

 

  1. Cap and Trim the box

Cut a piece of 1×2 to the width of the box. Glue and nail it to the top edge of the box front with 3d finish nails. Cut two pieces the depth of the box and use them to cap the sides. The side caps should now sit flush with the 2×4 assembly secured to the wall. Trim the base of the box using quarter round molding mitered 45 degrees at the corner joints.

  1. Trim the seat lid

 

Using a miter saw, cut strips of ½x7/8-inch decorative shoe molding to fit the front and side edges of the lid. Miter the ends at the corners, but leave the back edges square. Attach the molding to the lid edge with wood glue and 2d finish nails.

TOH Tip: To avoid splitting narrow wood stock with finish nails, dull the points of the nails with the strike of a hammer before tapping them in.

 

  1. Install the Lid

Rip a piece of plywood to 2¼ inches wide and the length of the box This 45/3/4 inches in my case. Nail it down at the back edge of the seat box to cap the 2×4 assembly. This is labeled as the “Hinge support” on the above photo. Attach the lid to the 2×4 assembly using three European cabinet hinges, installed according to the “full overlay” instructions. This type of hinge allows the lid to open completely over the 2×4 assembly but conceal that same assembly when it’s closed. The lid should overhang the box by 1 inch on the sides and front. This sounds more complicated than it is…Since your top has been cut short of the box dimension by this amount, you will have this 2/1/4 inch strip across the back that does not open with the lid. (see pic). You have to have this to carry the hinges. Setting the hinges requires a little bit of patience. The proper distance will be determined after a couple of openings and closings. There has to be a slight space to allow the lid board to pivot by the stationary hinge mounting board.

 

  1. Mount the bead-board back panel

I ran the beads on my piece vertically. Since my bench was less than 48 inches I could use just one 4×4 sheet and rip it to the right height. In my case I liked keeping the board 4 feet above top of the lid. So actually you could purchase just one 4×4 sheet already cut. Where the bead-board meets the top of the bench seat I put a 1×4 trim piece to finish out the back. As you will see later, when I finish placing the shelf facia board later, I will put a matching piece at this seam. I think it finishes the back board nicely.

 

  1. Hide the Bead-board edges

 

I chose to use a small cove molding to finish out the vertical edges of the bead board. As with all of the trim in this project, take a look at the variety of Trim pieces available and get ones that suit your taste. There are lots and lots of styles available. Some will obviously not work at all and others will be great. There is no hard and fast rule to my knowledge. We often just use what we have left over from other projects.

 

  1. Finish the Trim

I chose to use lengths of quarter round trim along the bottom edge of the box where it meets the floor. I mitered the corner where it wraps to the side. Take a look at your finished box at this point and decide if there are any gaps or spots that you feel like you want to cover with trim work or if just caulking alone will fill.

  1. Install the Fascia for the shelf

 

Use a piece of 1×12 shelving board cut to the length of the top of the beadboard panel. This board will be called the fascia board for the shelf and will be where the coat hangers will ultimately goMount it to the wall using 2-inch trim-head screws installed through the studs

 

  1. Mount the Shelf Brackets

 

Measure and mark the placement of two shelf brackets on the fascia board.
Using the provided hardware, install the shelf brackets flush with the top edge of the fascia board and on center at your marks.

 

 

  1. Secure the Shelf

 

Cut a piece of stock 1×12 shelving board the width of the bead-board.
Set the shelf on the brackets and tight against the wall. Secure it to the brackets with 2-inch trim-head screws. Cut a 1×4 trim board and attach it to the top of the bead-board to fascia board seam. Attach with 2d nails. Caulk seams.

DIY mudroom bench plans

 

  1. Paint the Bench

 

Sand the entire bench with 180-grit sandpaper. Fill all the nail holes and gaps between moldings with caulk. Prime the bench, bead-board panel, shelf, and moldings, then paint them with two coats of semi-gloss latex.

Mudroom bench woodworking plans

  1. Attach the hardware

 

Screw coat hooks to the fascia board, spaced evenly between the brackets.

 

Here you can see the accent wall we painted with stripes. Click the image or text for the FREE Laundry Room Printables!

 

Three Free Laundry Room Printables @savedbyloves

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Cheap Hardware Update

How to Update Brassy Hardware With Spray Paint @savedbylovesOne of the first things I knew I wanted to change when we moved into our house was the brass hardware: knobs, hinges and light fixtures. I pictured that happening immediately, but the reality of how much time it takes to renovate kicked in, and I am just now getting to the hardware! I wanted to share with you a quick, cheap and easy way to get the finish you want on your hardware without having to buy all new pieces. The stuff is expensive, so buy a can of spray paint instead and invest a little time! This one change makes a huge difference in the look of your decor.

DIY Mudroom Storage Bench

I finally got addressing the hardware as we finished up the laundry room you have heard me going on about around here lately. It was so perfect… new floor, new built-in mudroom bench, striped walls and laundry room printables.  Then there were the shiny brass hinges, locks and knobs. I couldn’t take it.

How to Spray Paint Door Knobs and Hinges

The solution was a $7 can of spray paint and a little time. I just removed the doors and took off the hinges and knobs, cleaned them with soap and water, dried them completely and sprayed them with Rust-Oleum Metallic Paint & Primer in One – Oil Rubbed Bronze. I let them dry overnight just to be safe, and put everything back the way it was, new and improved!

I gave you a sneak peek at the mudroom bench. You will be getting a detailed how to quite soon!

In case you missed the Free Laundry Room Printables, click here or the photo:

Three Free Laundry Room Printables @savedbyloves

Free Vintage Laundry Room Printables


Three Free Laundry Room Printables @savedbyloves

We recently renovated our laundry room, top to bottom. I will be sharing all the juicy details with you in upcoming posts, but today is all about free laundry room printables, from me to you! I created these in photoshop, using these free graphics from my favorite vintage graphics source, The Graphics Fairy: Washer and Iron, Clothespin.

Free DIY Laundry Room Printables @savedbyloves

I pulled them into Photoshop and added an old book page background I scanned in from a stack of books I inherited recently. The font I used to ad the text is “Century”. Super easy to create, I made them in 11×14 to go with the black frames I had on hand, but feel free to resize them to meet your needs. Download the freebies by clicking the text under each thumbnail below to pull up the full res version, then print, or save to a flash drive to take to your local printer. I had mine done at Office Depot on cardstock for less than $3 total! Not bad for some adorable laundry room art.

Wash Laundry Room Printable

WASH PRINTABLE

Dry Laundry Room Printable

DRY PRINTABLE

Press Laundry Room Printable

PRESS PRINTABLE

Enjoy and stay tuned for the mudroom bench reveal and tutorial!

Upcycle a Table Runner into DIY Pillows

Hi Everyone, It’s Becky from Patchwork Posse. Home of fun sewing projects, quilt alongs, and a lot of chit chat!
A few years back I had picked up a table runner that I had loved. It didn’t fit anywhere, but I couldn’t let it go and brought it home. It was super long and on one side it had the striped fabric and the other it had a swirl design.

After sitting in my cupboard for way longer than I want to admit, I decided it was time to do something with it. The once table runner became two matching bolster pillows.

Table Runner to Pillows DIY Upcycle @savedbyloves

Materials Needed:

table runner that is double sided and can be ‘pulled’ apart– meaning the layers aren’t fused together.

pillow form the size you need or polyfil stuffing

tablerunnerpillow10

Table Runner to Pillow Tutorial~

1) Lay your pillow form on top of your table runner and figure out where you need to trim the table runner. You will need to remember to add a bit for your seam allowance.

tablerunnerpillow2

2) Stuff your pillow inside the inside of the table runner

tablerunnerpillow3

3) Fold the ends under 1/4″-1/2″ and pin in place. Hand stitch the opening closed

tablerunnerpillow4

You are done!

Now, if you are like me, I didn’t really want the pillow form to be trapped inside. So, I came up with a second closure solution. A foldover end. And, because the pillow is double sided, you are able to showcase the fabric design from the back and contrast with the front fabric.

tablerunnerpillow9

Quick how to for the folded end pillow~

1) Cut a piece of fabric measuring 6″ –this size you can custom for your pillow. This is the size I decided to do. Feel free to make it larger if you’d like

2) Fold over one edge and sew in place– you’re making a hem here

tablerunnerpillow5

3) Open the pillow ends just a bit and pin your foldover piece to the right side of the SAME fabric (remember that after you are done, it will be folded over to the opposite side)

tablerunnerpillow6

4) Sew across this edge– make sure you don’t catch the other piece with your needle when you are stitching it!

5) Turn the foldover piece to the front, mess with the corners so they lay flat and pin in place along the side

tablerunnerpillow7

6) Sew directly on top of the original seams on the sides– if you don’t have visible seams you can either stitch it still, or hand stitch along the edges to secure

tablerunnerpillow8

7) Stuff pillow inside and fold the flap over in place

tablerunnerpillow11

I seriously love these pillows! The reversible option with them. The removeable pillow form. The extra little detail of co-ordinating designs on top of each other with the flap. Yes, the pom pom ends were already there– double bonus!

Now I am looking at table runners in a whole new light! Can’t believe this wasn’t figured out before…and how much time this saves in making them!

For more easy sewing projects, stop by my blog or facebook.

DIY Upcycled Cookie Sheet Memo Board

Easy Upcycle Cookie into Copper Patina Magnet Board @savedbyloves @petscribbles

Hi everyone! I’m Laura from Pet
Scribbles
, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting for Johnnie
today!

I’ve got a fun DIY project to share: a copper patina magnet
board from an upcycled cookie sheet!

After seeing so many cookie sheet makeovers on Pinterest, I began
collecting some of our older ones. I also bought this new round one at
the dollar store:

Copper Patina Magnet Board

As regular readers of my blog know, I love the look of copper and
patina. I’ve made over quite a few pieces using this technique, from
glass
vases
made to look like copper pipes to large wooden planter boxes made to look
like metal. In each DIY, the steps are the same but the patina effect is
always different – just like real patina on aging copper.

Step One: Apply one coat of Modern Masters Copper Reactive
Metallic Paint to both sides of the cookie sheet.
Let dry.

For many surfaces, I use the Metal Effects Primer (also by Modern
Masters) as the first coat. On metal, it isn’t necessary as the first
step. However, as you’ll see in the image below, the first coat of paint
did go on a bit more streaky than I would have liked. (Using a primer
always provides some tooth for any subsequent coats of paint to adhere to.)

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Two: Apply a second coat of the copper paint to the back
side of the cookie sheet only.
Let dry.

Isn’t the paint gorgeous? There’s real metallic particles in the paint,
which is what reacts with the patina solution that will be added in the
next steps.

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Three: Apply a new coat of the copper metallic paint to the
front of the cookie sheet, then immediately spray the patina solution
onto the cookie sheet right over the wet paint.
The patina
solution comes in blue and green. I used the green shade:

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Using a sea sponge, I then played around pouncing the solution on the
cookie sheet, just making random patterns. It isn’t necessary to do
this, but it sure is fun!

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Four: Add a bit more of the copper paint, if
desired.
After everything dried overnight, I used the same sea
sponge and pounced a bit more copper paint here and there onto the front
of the cookie sheet. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just play
with the look until you love it.

Here’s a close-up of the gorgeous patina finish:

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Five: Drill two holes into the cookie sheet. These
holes will be where you thread your ribbon through, to make the hanger
for your magnet board.

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Six: Cut two pieces of thin velvet ribbon (or a ribbon of
your choice), which will become small bows on the front of the magnet
board.
Cut two longer pieces of the same ribbon, which will be
used to create the hanger. (I didn’t measure my pieces, instead I just
eyeballed it.)

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Seven: Create the velvet ribbon hanger. Make a
loop with the smaller piece of ribbon (A), then thread
it (B) through the drilled hole, with both ends coming
through to the front. (C) Turn the tray over and slide
one end of the longer ribbon through the loop of the smaller piece.
(D) Tie the longer piece onto that loop with a simple knot.

Repeat this step for the other drilled hole.

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Step Eight: Pull the ends of the smaller pieces of ribbon all
the way through the drilled holes.
(They will be stopped by the
knots underneath that you made in Step Seven.

Step Nine: Tie the ends of each ribbon together with a simple
knot, then trim the edges to a length you like.
I trimmed mine
so each looks like a very basic bow shape and covers the holes
completely. (See image below.)

Step Ten: Tie the long ends together and make a large, floppy
bow.
Hang up on the wall and enjoy!

Copper Patina Magnet Board

Since it’s Christmas time, I decorated my magnet board with some of my
favorite vintage Christmas postcards. (I also made the glitter marble
magnets, and you can find that tutorial here.)

Copper Patina Magnet Board

I added a sprig of a faux pine branch too.

upcycled-cookie-sheet-memo-board

And when the Christmas season is over, my magnet board will be ready to
take on the new year and hopefully keep us more organized! (Unless I
decide to decorate it with more vintage postcards!)

Copper Patina Magnet Board

I’ve been a long-time admirer of Johnnie. Whether she’s crafting
bracelets or building furniture, her creativity knows no bounds!

Thanks Johnnie for having me guest post today, and thank you Saved By
Love readers too!

Happy crafting!

~Laura

50 Plus Favorite Pottery Barn Knock Offs

50 Plus Best Pottery Barn Knock Off Ideas from @savedbylovesWho doesn’t love getting designer home decor and furniture for a fraction of the price? Today I am sharing our favorite Pottery Barn knock off decor DIY tutorials from around the web. If we missed your project, leave us a link!


DIY Christmas Sign and Chalky Finish Paint Giveaway

DIY Christmas Wood Sign Chalky Finish

Today I am sharing how to make this easy Christmas sign on birch wood with Chalky Finish Paint. Have you ever used this paint? It is amazing. I am hooked! It comes in so many gorgeous colors and is easy to use without having to sand and prime the surface.  That’s my kind of paint. You have a chance to win 8 colors of your choice and more, but we will get to that later!

DIY Christmas Wood Sign

I scored this birch wood plaque from Michaels.

DIY Chalkboard

The paint color I used is Relic. It is beautiful!

Chalky Finish Birch Wood Christmas Sign

I used a foam brush to apply the paint.

DIY Chalkboard wood sign

Initially I planned to paint the letters on, but I decided to use chalk instead. Now I can change it with the seasons!

DIY Christmas Decor

I used my Cricut make a stencil out of clear contact paper. I love to use contact paper for stencils because it is way cheaper than adhesive vinyl. You can download the image file here: Joy and Holly Berries. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can print and transfer the image using transfer paper like I showed you here: DIY Reclaimed Wood Sign.

Chalky Finish Birch Wood SignTo finish, I added twine to hang the sign.  I love it!

Remember when we painted our kitchen cabinets? We used Everlasting Chalky Finish paint. It was a huge time saver to not have to sand/prime the cabinets and we are thrilled with them.

Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint is available in Michaels in the wood and finishes aisle. Visit the DecoArt Chalky Finish website for more chalk paint ideas and inspiration.

Chalky Finish Giveaway

UPDATE: CONTEST OVER; THE WINNER IS ERIN B.!!

Now for the giveaway! Enter for a chance to win 8 colors of your choice, clear and dark creme waxes, Soft Touch varnish, waxing brush and 2 stencils of your choice *.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

* The items pictured are representations only. The stencils and paint will be selected by the winner. 

Disclosure: I received product and compensation from DecoArt in exchange for my campaign.  All opinions are honest and mine, as always!

 

Psalm 93 DIY Wood Pallet Nursery Sign

DIY Nursery Decor Wood Pallet Sign Psalm 93 @savedbylovesMy friend Jordan will be a momma any day now. I wondered if I would end up delivering the little guy the day she came over to make this nursery wall art, but he is not here yet! Today I am sharing how we created this lovely Psalm 93:4 sign for next to nothing out of pallet wood. It is so perfect in her nautical themed nursery! Download the cut file below and follow the steps to make your very own!

SUPPLIES:

Five pallet wood planks (Here is my video: How to Break Down Wood Pallets)

White chalky paint

Blue acrylic or chalky paint

Black vinyl for your die cut machine and transfer tape if you are die cutting the letters (if you don’t have a die cut machine, you could download the phrase below and transfer the letters to the sign to hand paint it like I showed you here: DIY Hand Painted Rustic Wood Signs)

Die Cut machine and software to trace jpg file provided below (this is not needed if you are hand-painting the sign as shown in the previous link)

Drill and 1/2 inch hole saw bit

Rope

Kreg jig

1 1/4 inch Pocket Hole Screws

2 inch flat paint brush and round stencil brush

Psalm 93:4 text download

Free Anchor Clip Art

Mod Podge Matte Finish

TUTORIAL:

DIY Nursery Decor

Cut your boards to about 45 inches wide and attach them with pocket holes, staggered as shown – (Here is How to Use a Kreg Jig).

DIY Nursery Decor2

Paint the sign white with chalky paint (we used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk).

Let that dry, then dry brush blue randomly as shown.  We used a round stencil brush for this.

Let dry and cut or print and transfer text and anchor.  We used a 12×24 inch mat  and filled the entire area with the text.  We sized the anchor to 5 inches and cut everything in black vinyl.

DIY Nursery Decor3

Center and adhere vinyl letters and anchor using transfer tape. Seal letters and sign with Mod Podge Matte or desired finish.

DIY Nursery Decor6

Mark desired placement of holes and drill with spade bit to fit diameter of rope you are using. (We have the letters covered in this image because the Mod Podge wasn’t dry and the saw dust would stick in it.  Don’t judge, we were in a hurry)!

DIY Nursery Decor8We inserted the rope and hung it from a cool anchor hardware piece that Jordan found at Hobby Lobby for just $3!

DIY Nursery Decor Ideas

We LOVE it!! Jordan did a fantastic job with this nursery, and our sign tops it off perfectly.

We hope you are inspired to create your own!

DIY Custom Built-ins from Bookshelves

Today I finally get to show you my completed DIY custom built-ins we made using the 5 Shelf Bookcases from the Sauder website Four of the bookshelves cost less than $250, so we ended up getting four more to fill our space! These are perfect for the built-in project we had in mind, and we love the result!

Here are the assembled bookshelves.

I showed you these a few months ago, before we customized them to look like built-ins here: Stylish Craft Storage with Sauder Bookcases. They looked great then, but we wanted to add trim where they meet, and wrap the tops with crown molding and bottom with the room’s baseboard to tie them into the room.

We removed the room’s baseboard on the walls where we would be putting the bookshelves.

There were several things we ran into during this project. The first was we notices the baseboard was higher than the bottom shelf, so we added a new bottom shelf with 1×12 wood to be flush with the top of the baseboard. We attached the shelves with pocket holes using the Kreg jig.

Where the bookshelves meet, we had 1.75 inches to cover, and we found the perfect trim at our local hardware store. On the edges where there was just one bookshelf wall, we put 1×12 wood as shown so the 1.75 inch trim as flush on both sides.

We started with the baseboards and used construction adhesive along with the nailer.

Luckily we found baseboard to match what was already in the room!

We found this molding at our local big box hardware store and I was elated. We didn’t have to figure out any complex angles since the molding was solid to a right angle!! Phew. You can read about our first experience cutting crown molding here: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Upgrade.

For the molding, baseboard and trim, we used construction adhesive and our cordless nailer to attach. We started with the baseboard and molding, then added the trim to cover the seams.


We found corner trim that was perfect for the corners at the hardware store. We used an unfinished cabinet door we scored for free on Craigslist as a desk in between shelves!

Above the desk we placed three 1×6 shelves, attaching them to the wall stud and bookshelves on both sides using pocket holes.

To see how I made the shelves on the left check out this tutorial: DIY Pallet Wood Paint Storage Shelves.

We primed and painted the trim and added wood and that was that!

These bookshelves are great as they come. With just a few supplies and a day’s time, you can customize them for designer built-in style!

Visit Sauder for more than 30 distinct, affordable furniture collections in a full
line of ready to assemble furnishings for your home, including entertainment, home office, bedroom, kitchen and storage!

Visit my Woodworking Pinterest Board for more home decor and furniture ideas!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

Privacy Policy