DIY Book Ledges | One Room Challenge: Week 4

Hi! Patrick here for Week 4 of our One Room Challenge nursery project hosted by Calling It Home and House Beautiful.  This week we highlight DIY Book Ledges placed beside the glider in Baby Girl’s nursery.  I really enjoyed this project for two reasons.  One: it was really easy and quickly came together (can’t say that about every project Diana and I have found ourselves in).  Two: I absolutely love how the book ledges turned out in this space!

If you missed weeks 1-3 you can check them out here:

Nursery Mood Board and Plans

IKEA Algot Closet Makeover

Modern Shiplap Wall DIY

I must say there are good vibes in this room, especially when with my wife and daughter.

(Some links are affiliated for your ease of shopping.)

Supplies:

• 1 x 2 x 8′ Select Pine – 2
• 1 x 4 x 8′ Select Pine – 2
• 2″ Wood Screws
• Wood Glue
• Wood Stain (Miniwax Golden Oak)
• Polyurethane (Miniwax Satin)

Tools:

• Kreg Jig Pocket Hole
• Miter Saw
• Cordless Drill
• Clamps

We have 4 ledges at 4ft in length on the wall.  To make the ledges, we purchased  2 1X2 boards and 4 1X4 boards at 8ft segments. Each 8ft board was cut in half and utilized, leaving no scraps! As a cost engineer, I was stoked about the efficiency of material used.

Using a Kreg Jig pocket hole kit, we pre-drill holes to fasten the ledge front and back to the bottom.  This allows the screws to be hid from sight and also provides great strength to the ledge.  Clamps are a must for this step.

We wanted the ledges to have a vibrant yet natural look.  So, Diana used 2 coats of  Miniwax Golden Oak wood stain and 1 coat of Miniwax satin polyurethane to achieve this.

We measured and marked the wall with the studs where the shelves would go. I pre-drilled holes aligning with the studs on the back of each book ledge using a countersink bit.  This gave a nice finished look and made the mounting process much easier.

Our ledges highlight brilliant illustrations that are imaginative and original; like immediate art displayed on your wall in a casual way. They are accessible and easy to switch the look around to keep the wall fresh. So I ask, ‘Why hide such beauty tucked away in a book shelf, when you can easily make a book ledge?’ 

For in-depth instruction on creating the ledges, refer to this post by Ana White. It’s the one we used as inspiration for our ledges. She lays out excellent step-by-step instructions, but you can easily customize the ledges, like we did, to make them your own.

I have read a few books to Baby Girl already and look forward to exploring new worlds within those pages with her when she arrives . 

I’m interested… What children’s book holds a special place in your heart? Let me know in the comments below.