Creating Pallet Lowline Bookcase

Have a wall at home that looks a little sad? Ever feel like you can’t find the right piece of furniture for your carefully curated home? Need a new bookcase to showcase your collection of books before they take over your space?

Sometimes, the best pieces of furniture are the ones you make yourself. Recycling and upcycling wooden pallets is a great way to add character to your home and create unique pieces. BILLY from IKEA might have been the best bookcase ever made, until yours came along. And building your own is almost certain to be easier than following the IKEA instruction booklet.

If you’ve been looking for a way to update your home and keep clutter at bay, try a decorative pallet piece to show off your craftsmanship.

Everything You’ll Need

• A selection of Wooden Pallets
• Saw
• Hammer
• Nails
• Sand Paper
• Wood Treatment

Measuring your Wall

Have a look at the wall you plan to place your bookcase against so that you can measure the length of pallet wood you’ll need. You could even measure the space underneath your TV and this bookcase could double as a media station where you can keep consoles and devices.

Building your Lowline Pallet Bookcase

Firstly, you’ll want to choose smaller pallets with a low height to achieve the desired low line bookcase. Stand your chosen pallets side by side, using two to begin, to create at least two units in your bookcase. Once you are happy with the size, begin pulling the planks of wood from one side of each pallet, leaving the back section to stand against the wall and the inner frame as shelfing units.

The basic shape of your bookcase is already complete, and it’s best to attach your two units together using a hammer and nails. You can also use this time to saw off any excess lengths of wood.

The best final touches you can add are a loving sanding down and treatment of your new bookcase. Whether you’re trying to create a bohemian or beachside look with your rustic furniture, exposed wood suits a range of style inspirations. Whilst pallets are sturdy and durable, it might be a good idea to secure the bookcase to the wall to make sure it stays strong and prevent any household accidents.

Decorating your Low Line Bookcase

The easiest way to decorate your bookcase is to organise your books and other belongings and arrange them on your new shelfing units. Displaying your books, CD’s or records is a cool way to make clutter look like it’s meant to be there. If you’re bookcase looks good, why not re-create another that can secured to a kitchen wall for shelfing and add hooks to the bottom to hang utensils.

Building a bookcase or shelfing unit from discarded pallets is a realistic and cost-effective way to create furniture that fits your space, rather than splashing out on bespoke furniture. And when people ask where you got it from – just say it’s an original.