pallet bookshelves

 While on one of my recent visits to pinterest I found a lot of fun projects to do with pallets.  Yes, nasty, old pallets.  I fell in love with the idea of chopping them up and making bookshelves.  I was talking to my sister and SIL about this and we were talking about how to get a hold of some pallets.  Well, turns out my brother can get some.  Hurray!

So sweet Matt got me some beautiful (actually really dirty and old ones, but I saw the potential!) pallets and away I went.  I was able to get 3 shelves per pallet.  I have to say though, there is NO saving the slats of wood you take off to use as the bottoms.  The wood is so old and splintered and the nails are so old, rusted, and so far down that I don't know how people say they save them.  I had some strips of MDF left over from another project that I put on the bottoms.

I also didn't have to stain them or anything.  After giving them a good sand I loved the natural colors and oils that came through.

I made some cute littler ones for my little girl's room since I know she feels jipped that she didn't have any books in her room.  I also cleaned out and white washed an old wash bucket I've had to put all her little plushes in.  She is a big time stuffed animal lover and we've been needing a solution for them.  Done! :) 

 

 

 No, she did not pose for this picture.  I just happened to be able to snag a shot of her enjoying her new space.  She is feeling pretty big in her new room with no guard rails on her bed!

 Next it was on to the boy's room.  They have had two big bookshelves of books in their room.  Too many.  They love books and reading, but with that may books in their room there were always books everywhere.  I love this wall of shelves much better.  It doesn't take up a lot of space, and it limits the amount of books we have to clean up.
I was worried about the kids not being able to reach the top shelves, but then saw one of my boys climb up the shelves to the top.  Good thing I now know my work is sturdy!

 

 We moved this antique recliner (a family heirloom) that we recovered into their room to be their reading chair and they just love it.  They have been spending a lot of time up in their room rediscovering their books again.