Add some cool to your pad on the cheap! Invisible book shelves not only create a stylish hover effect, but also save money and space. To create invisible book shelves, follow these instructions.
Steps
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Trace an L-bracket onto the inside of the book.
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Cut notches for the L-bracket into the book.
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Screw the book to the bracket.
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Secure the pages so that the book sits perfectly flat.
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- If drilling into a stud isn’t ideal or won’t work in your house, use anchor screwsinstead. These are suitable for both drywall and plaster walls. Make note of how much weight the anchor screws are rated to hold so that you don’t overload the shelf.
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Tips
- Check used book stores for books that have visual appeal if you don't want to part with any in your personal library. Using classified ads or Craigslist to find a set of old encyclopedias is another way to acquire old, stable books, especially if you’re building more than one shelf and want design continuity.
- When cutting the book, avoid injury by cutting away from your body and use a flat and stable surface to rest on. Also, be sure that the surface is protected to prevent damage to an item of furniture in case you slip.
- If you don’t want to sacrifice a book, use two L-brackets (both long enough to fully support a large bottom book), space them an appropriate distance apart, install them (using anchor screws if they don’t align with wall studs), and simply stack the books on top. Note that this system will not be completely invisible when placed at or above eye level.
- You can use two brackets if you're worried about stability, but make sure the brackets are spaced the same distance in the book as the studs are in the wall.
- The more weight you have on the book while waiting for the glue to dry, the better. This will ensure that all the pages are pressed against each other and improve the overall look of the finished product.
- You can also use a Dremel (or other similar tool) to cut out the notch in the edge of the book. This is both safer and faster than using a knife.
Warnings
- Be careful to center the weight of each book on the bracket; a sudden or severe imbalance will rip the L-bracket from the pages of the support book. Use two L-brackets if you are concerned about this possibility.
Things You'll Need
- 1 large, hardcover book that you'll never read again but looks good on the wall
- 1 L-bracket (at least 2/3 as long as the width of the sacrificial book to fully support its center of gravity)
- 1 utility knife
- 1 drill
- 1 Phillips-head or flathead screwdriver
- 5 small wood screws
- 3 large wood screws
- 1 tape measure
- 1 bottle of Elmer's glue or strong craft glue
- 5 (or so) books to shelve