Welcome back to my Built in bookshelf series! You can see Part 1, where we mounted the cabinets, and part 2 where we added the frame. We’re talking today about adding the shelves. I’ve told you before about how I’m pretty much following this amazing tutorial from Thrifty Decor Chic and tweaking it to work for me. Well, this part is no different.

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We left off here:

Side Note:

When I started this project, I barely had any tools and was not interested in buying things I didn’t think I needed at the time. I will say though, that even though Sarah’s tutorial helped me so much, I wish I would have done the shelving differently. And by that I mean I wish I would have just bit the bullet and bought a Kreg Pocket Hole Jig .

Call it young and naive, but I didn’t see the point of paying $100 for a tool if I could get away with using the tools I had. But honestly when I look back on it now, using a Kreg Pocket Hole Jig would have saved me time and money actually.

So, if you’re reading this, go buy a Kreg Pocket Hole Jig  and pocket hole those shelves in place like —– does in her shelf tutorial and be done with it! But if you’re a cheap skate like me, here’s how I did it. haha

Adding Shelves to Built In Bookshelves

Here’s what we used to create the shelving:

1.) Very straight 1×2 boards for support and trim

2.) very straight 1×12 boards for shelving

3.) Very straight 1×3 and 1×6 boards for trim.

4.)Brad Nailer and air compressor

5.) clamps

6.) level

7.) 12 inch miter saw or circular saw for cuts

8.) 1×4 inch plywood panels

9.) Drill and bit set

 

How We Added Shelving to Our Built In Bookshelves

The shelves are going to sit on these 1×2 boards. And because these 1×2 boards will be attached to each other, and to the studs in the wall, they will actually help to secure and strengthen the frame.

We wanted to be sure that our TV would fit, so we essentially planned around it. When we decided the height we wanted each shelf to be, we marked the location and attached the 1x2s to the frame and through the studs in the wall, using a level to be sure each shelf will be level.

 

For adjacent shelves, we screwed the 1x2s to each other through the frame.

 

Once all of the supports were in place, we cut 1×12 boards for the shelves and tacked them down to the support boards using our nail gun.

 

1/4 inch plywood panels are used to cover the underside of the shelves. We tacked those in using our nail gun as well. For additional support in the center, we added a few scraps of 1x2s

 

The horizontal trim are carefully selected pieces of 1×3 whiteboard, while the vertical trim are just some really straight 1×2 boards.

 

We added a 1×6 at the very top to give it a finished built in look.

 

 

In Part 4 of the series, I’ll show you how we are hiding all the seams and making this look like a million bucks!

 

Skip around the the other parts in this series:

Part 1, Mounting the Cabinets

Part 2, Building the Frame

Part 3, Adding the Shelves (you are here)

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