Sunday DIY: Easy do it your shelf

A homemade bookcase can bring order to any home. Greig Morgan shows you how.

Bookcases can transform the look of a room, as well as be practical. Use yours to show off favourite photos, trophies and knick-knacks between your books and it will become a focal point for family and friends. In a child's room, a bookcase will help keep the floor clear and make finding their treasures easy.

A bookcase is also one of the easiest pieces of home furniture to make. I used the measurements in the Materials box on this page, but you can design yours to the height and width that suits. Keep in mind that the wider span you have, the thicker the material you should use for the shelves, or use more supports to prevent the shelves sagging.

Step 1

Fix the toe-kick to the bottom shelf: Measure back 50mm on the underside of the bottom shelf, then evenly space and screw in your angle brackets. Fix the toe-kick to the angle brackets.

Step 2

Drill holes into the sides for the shelves, top and back board. On each side, measure in 50mm from the front and back of the bookcase, in line first with the bottom shelf and then with the top shelf, and then where you want your other shelves to go. Drill holes using a 4mm drill bit. Also drill holes for the back board.

Step 3

Fix the bottom and top shelves to the sides.

Turn the bookcase over so the back of the bookcase is facing you. Now fix the backboard on to pre-drilled holes. Putting the back on now will keep the bookcase square.

You can measure diagonally from corner to corner to ensure this, before you tighten the screws.

Step 4

Screw in the rest of the shelves to the pre-drilled holes on the sides. Place the screw caps over the screw heads. Then screw the backboard on to the shelves.

Materials

1200x250mm x 16mm melteca x 2 (for sides)
900x250mm x 16mm melteca x 5 (for top, bottom & middle shelves)
900x50mm x 16mm melteca x1 (for toe kick)
1200x900 x 6mm melteca x1 (for back)
Screws x8g x45mm (for attaching shelves to sides)
Screws x6g x25mm (for attaching the back)
Packet of screw caps
Angle bracket x3 with 16mm screws (to attach the toe kick to the bottom)

Tools

Screw gun
Tape measure and pencil
Builders square
Set of drill bits