A perfect display bookshelf for all the little bookworms!! The child can easily find their favorite books from this shelf as all the pretty front covers are seen.

I have reused cardboard and old newspapers to make this shelf. Believe me, this cardboard shelf is equally good as a wooden display shelf because it is very sturdy, heavy and easily holds up to 40 big books.

And now I am going to show you how to make it in just a few steps. You just might need around 4 hours to make this awesome bookcase.

Supplies

Huge cardboard pieces
Old newspapers
Scissors
Cutter
Tape
Hot glue gun
And thick colour papers

Step 1: Perceiving and Designing the Structure

Check the images to get an idea of the elements and dimensions of the bookcase. The main structure of the bookcase consists of 3 main parts.

A cardboard base,
3 cardboard shelf,
2 boxes to raise the shelf levels.

I have given the approximate dimension of my bookcase. However, you can design your own sizes based on the carboard that is available. Try to set dimensions and make a rough sketch as I did before starting the project

Step 2: Cutting the Cardboard

Choosing the right cardboard reduces a lot of work. Fetch few big size cardboards preferably cuboid ones like these. Cut them into desired forms/sizes with a cutter. You need a Base ( 60 x 40 x 15 cm), 3 shelves ( 60 x 20 x 10) and 2 base boxes to raise the shelf levels.

Gather some old newspapers and crush them all. You might need a big heap to stuff them inside the base so that it can be sturdy.

Step 3: Preparing the 3 Level Base

The base has to be a 3 tiered structure. Therefore, we are going to fix 2 cuboid structures over the huge cardboard box we have. Use a hot-Glue gun to fix this 4 sided cuboid box on the cardboard. Most importantly, add a small gap in order to insert Crushed paper.

After packing them tightly with crushed papers and use tape to seal them. Similarly, make another level. Now there are three levels.

Step 4: Adding the Shelves on the Base

Subsequently, add the 3 shelves on the 3 level base we made. In other words, one shelf at each level.

Once this is done, we have to reinforce the 4 vertical panels. This is because they will be subjected to a lot of lateral forces. Therefore we are going to add a few cardboards on these panels. While you complete this step, you know your bookshelf is strong enough to hold all the books.

Step 5: Covering the Structure

Use thick paper to cover the shelf. Other ways to cover is to use big size vinyl sticker sheet, Painting with acrylic paint, or just leave as it is. I have used 2 color paper to cover the shelf using the hot glue.

Step 6: Summary

You can also watch the video to get more clarity on the process.

Now here is a summary of the whole process:

Make a 3 level cardboard base,
add shelf like cardboards on each level,
make the vertical panels thicker
and finally, cover it up with paper.

Easy isn't it?? And definitely cost-effective as well as this costs almost nothing. This one turned out to be an eye-catcher in our room and my kid loves to pick up, read, and re-sort the books by herself.

Thank you for reading through this long instructable! I hope it is helpful!!

Introduction: Kids Bookshelf From Cardboard