9 Creative Ways to Repurpose Your ShelvesEugene Chrinian

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.