DIY Floating Bookshelves for Kids

Make these super easy DIY floating bookshelves for kids to display your child’s favorite books to read. A great addition to their bedroom or playroom.

When I started planning out my daughters bedroom makeover, I had a long list of DIY projects I wanted to do for it. One of them was to make these DIY floating bookshelves to display her favorite books on.

You can find simular bookshelves all over the place, but they can be a little pricy for such a simple design. I knew they would be cheaper to just build myself, and they didn’t look complicated (which they weren’t).

I always have a ton of scrap wood from other projects on hand, so I figured this would be a great way to use some of that up too.

Supplies Needed for Floating Bookshelves

Wood Cuts (for 2 bookshelves) – customize sizing to meet the needs of your own space, but I will provide mine below:

• (2) 17″ 1×4’s for bottoms
• (4) 5.5″ 1×4’s for sides
• (2) 18.5″ 1/2×6’s for backing
• (2) 17″ 1/2×1/2x square wood dowels

Other Supplies:

• Tape measure
• Saw
• Nail gun – or hammer and nails
• Sanding block
• Paint/brush
• Sawtooth picture hangers

Instructions to Make Floating Bookshelves

1. I measured the space I wanted to add the bookshelves to, and decided on sizing (mine measure 18.5″L x 4″W x 5.5″H). Once I had the size I started to cut the wood with my miter saw based on my above cut list.
2. Once cut, I used a sanding block to sand down any rough edges.
3. Using a nail gun (you can also just use a hammer and nails if you don’t have a nail gun), I started by attaching two of the 5.5″ 1×4’s to the 17″ 1×4 (pictured above).

4. I then attached one of the 18.5″ 1/2×6 boards on for backing with my nail gun (pictured above).

5. The square wooden dowel was attached last, with just a single nail from each side. (pictured below).

6. Lastly, I used some white spray paint to paint each bookshelf. Obviously you can customize this as you want!

And that’s it. A quick, simple, and affordable addition to my daughters bedroom makeover! A small project with a cute outcome, and the perfect addition to any bedroom or playroom.

Displaying Cute Books

I picked out some of the most adorable books to display on her floating bookshelves, and we’ll have so much fun changing them out over the years and seasons.

It will be so fun to see her picks each week and be able to just grab them quickly before bedtime to read.

Shop This Post

More DIY Projects

• Vintage Floral and Scallops Girls Bedroom Mood Board
• Easy DIY Baby Gate
• Nursery Room Furniture Makeover
• Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal

Pin This Post for Later