DIY Shelves for Nurseries and Kids' Rooms

Written by
Kitty Lascurain
Kitty Lascurain is a journalist with over a decade of experience writing about parenting, travel, and interior design.
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Kitty Lascurain
Updated 06/08/20
What will make the room feel more cosy? Wooden furniture!
KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images

Shelves are an essential decorating tool. Whether you’re looking for beautiful wall decor for your nursery or additional storage for all your teen’s stuff, a pretty and practical wall shelf is the perfect solution. That said, attractive shelving can be expensive and hard to find. If you want something with some personality (and a reasonable price tag), you’ll need to get creative.

Need a little inspiration? These DIY shelves are nothing short of genius. Best of all, many of them can be made from things you already have lying around the house! Turn a 5-gallon bucket into a contemporary storage cubby. Have some scrap wood and an old leather belt? Boom! You’ve got a chic, hanging shelf. The possibilities are endless!

Feeling crafty? Here are 12 DIY shelf ideas for kids' rooms.

  • 01 of 12

    Skateboard Shelf

    DIY Skateboard Shelves
    The Crafted Sparrow

    Add some boyish charm to your son’s room with these easy skateboard shelves. All you need is a couple of heavy-duty “L” brackets.

  • 02 of 12

    Repurposed Drawer Shelf

    Book Cubbies Made From Repurposed Drawers
    Addison Meadows Lane

    Transform old drawers into beautiful, shabby-chic bookshelves using a simple tutorial.

  • 03 of 12

    Box Frame Shelves

    DIY Box-Frame Shelves
    Shanty2Chic

    Use old picture frames to dress up a simply constructed box shelf.

  • 04 of 12

    Tree Slice Shelf

    Wood Slice Shelf
    Girl Loves Glam

    Add a little woodland whimsy to your little one’s nursery or bedroom with these easy-to-make accent shelves. Simply cut a large, wooden tree slice in half, and mount with small “L” brackets.

    Continue to 5 of 12 below.
  • 05 of 12

    Stacked-Crate Bookshelves

    DIY Stacked Crates Book Shelf
    Calm Cradle Photo and Design

    Stack some pretty, wooden apple crates for a beautiful and budget-friendly bookcase. Total cost? Less than $50!

  • 06 of 12

    Rain-Gutter Book Ledge

    DIY Book Ledges Made from Repurposed Rain Gutters
    Diply

    Mount rain gutters to the wall for an instant reading corner.

  • 07 of 12

    Bucket Shelves

    Modern Storage Cubbies Made from 5-Gallon Buckets
    Oh Oh Blog

    What can you do with a 5-gallon bucket and a little imagination? Make cute, contemporary wall shelves of course!

  • 08 of 12

    DIY Industrial Shelving

    DIY Industrial-Style Shelving
    Beneath My Heart

    Create a DIY industrial-inspired, wall-to-wall shelving unit for less.

    Continue to 9 of 12 below.
  • 09 of 12

    Easy Pallet Book Shelves

    Pallet Bookshelf
    My Life and Kids

     Turn an old, wooden pallet into beautiful, rustic book ledges. Just cut, sand, and stain.

  • 10 of 12

    Wall-Mounted Crates

    Wall-Mounted Crate Shelves
    Decoideas

    Wooden boxes or crates offer lots of storage space and look fabulous mounted on the wall. Paint the inside of each box for a pop of added color.

  • 11 of 12

    Rustic Strap Shelves

    DIY Shelves Made from Repurposed Belts
    Blue I Style

    Create a rustic, wooden shelf using reclaimed wood and old belt straps.

  • 12 of 12

    Dreamy Cloud Shelf

    DIY Cloud Shelves
    Cute DIY Projects

    Working with a cloud motif? Dress up a simple floating shelf by painting a fluffy cloud behind it. It couldn’t be easier!