If there’s one thing you know your child needs access to, it’s books, right? Even in our age of technology, the literal printed page has held its value. From board books and pop-up books to read-alouds, early readers, and chapter books, book display options can grow with your kids’ development.
But that whole “you can’t judge a book by its cover thing”? Kids don’t get it. The spine of a book is only so alluring, but displaying books in a way that makes them both easily accessible and dual-functional as décor is the ideal route to go. It’s also safer than a free-standing bookshelf that isn’t installed using anti-tip hardware.
Four often-pinned DIY ideas are listed below, in order of simplest to most involved.
1. Repurposed Rain Gutters or Photo Ledges are probably the simplest ideas we’ve seen, requiring no painting and minimal effort for installation.
2. Painted Spice Racks can actually be mounted as-is, if you don’t want to paint them. If you want them to coordinate with your color scheme, though, check out the Paint Primer posts here and here. If you don’t have wall space to spare, this idea can be tailored to display and store books on the side of a dresser or the back of a closet door. They include mounting hardware, so this project is pretty fool proof.
3. Fabric Slings Hanging from Dowel Rods offers the greatest potential for color coordination. You can even dress them up a bit by appliqueing or painting shapes or monograms onto the base fabric in complementary fabrics. Of course, it does require some basic sewing — unless, of course, you go the no-sew route! Either way, you’re basically cutting fabric and creating a sling with a pocket through which you’ll thread a rod, then mounting a double-rod bracket on the wall.
4. Reconfigured Pallets or Crates will require a little skill with a saw — and a sander, to keep surfaces safe and smooth for the kiddos. You’ll also have to create your own method of wall-mounting, so this one is the most labor-intensive and sill-requiring option of the bunch.
If you like the ideas above but just don’t have the DIY-ing in you, check with local crafters or contractors or on Etsy.com to find someone who can create and/or install the perfect book display to coordinate with the other elements of your child’s bedroom.
However you decide to build your book wall, the perfect add-on is a quote about reading, like these ready-made ideas you can DIY, if you still have it in you (these items listed below were previously available on Etsy but are no longer):
1. This wall decal quoting Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”
2. This Suitable-for-Framing Print: “Keep Calm and Read a Book”
3. This Pallet Garden Sign with Places from Favorite Children’s Books
More from the Bedroom Source blog:
The Bedroom Source
Located near the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, NY, The Bedroom Source is your source for the best collection of children’s and teen bedroom furniture. From flexibly configurable Maxtrix furniture to fashionable Berg collections, The Bedroom Source offers high end furniture and professional design assistance to create the bedroom of your child’s dreams.
Contact the friendly staff at The Bedroom Source by calling (516) 248-0600 or by visiting www.BedroomSource.com. We’re a local family owned mom & pop store. When you shop with us, you’re dealing directly with the owners. We professionally assemble everything we sell. We deliver to Long Island, the 5 Boroughs of New York City, Rockland, southern Connecticut, and northern New Jersey.
Image credits: Maxtrix® is a registered trademark of Maxwood Furniture.
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