Reading to young children and helping them learn how to read is a huge step towards cognitive development, which basically means: it helps your kid learn better and with less difficulties.

Even though I’m not a mom yet, when I think of it, I’d simply love my kid to have the same interest in books as I do - which actually came from my own parents always carrying books and comics everywhere we went when I was a kid myself.

To this day, despite not having the spare time to read all I want, I always manage to read a couple of pages every day or so. And I’m really grateful to my parents for giving me the extra push towards this path.

I can only imagine that many moms here share the same feeling, so today I come to you with a couple of DIY bookshelves for nurseries and kids’ rooms. Hope you like them!

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his needs, is good for him.” — Maya Angelou

Full Cover Display

Display the front covers of the books to make it easy for your kid.
Display the front covers of the books to make it easy for your kid. Image source: A Beautiful Mess

This simple bookshelf is so simple to assemble, looks great, and makes it super easy to display the covers of the books. It becomes really easy for your child to point at his or her favorite ones! You’ll basically need:

  • Wood pieces
  • Sand paper
  • Drill
  • Screws
  • Paint (and paint brush)

You can do this in one afternoon and it’s really worth it!

Toddler Friendly

Make a small shelf so toddlers can reach easily.
Make a small shelf so toddlers can reach easily. Image source: Mom Smart Not Hard

How about a shelf that your toddler can easily go over to and get what they want? This one is made especially for them! Even though it’s made with wood, you can actually notice from the photo above that all the edges and corners are well-sanded so there’s absolutely no harm for your little angel.

More than that:

If you don’t like working with wood, this repurposed rain gutters shelf idea might be the solution! It’s really fun to make and it looks incredible.

Nature’s Friend

A tree design is nice to make a neutral shelf.
A tree design is nice to make a neutral shelf! Image source: Handmade Charlotte

If you like themed rooms, nature is always a great pick! This tree shelf is adorable, you just need to paint the bushy part on the wall, and maybe repurpose an old ladder to make the shelf itself. It’s a great decor addition and you can complement it with some teddy bears around too!

Repurpose Old Drawer

A crate or an old drawer can make a nice storage solution.
A crate or an old drawer can make a nice storage solution. Image source: No time for flash cards

Talking about repurposed things, old drawers also go on the list! This one isn’t exactly what we call a shelf, but it’s used to put away books, so we’re counting it as well. You could also use a crate for this project.

The main idea is:

Paint the drawer or crate, cut some old magazines and newspapers to make a “READ” message in front and you’re all set!

Magazine Racks

Magazine racks make everyone's life easier.
Magazine racks make everyone’s life easier. Image source: Apartment Therapy

Up for one more idea? Try magazine racks! It’s hard to go through a storage or shelving list without bumping into the magazine racks idea, right? That’s because this is so efficient and quick and easy to install. You can even use the bottom one to put toys in and give that extra push for the kids to explore that shelf.

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