Baskets are great kid room organizers.
Tame the clutter in your kid's bedroom with a pair of easy to assembly bookcases that will hold not only books but baskets for odd toys and craft items. Make a small work desk with a back board that allows items to hang. Put up a ball hammock and hang stuffed animal display chains. Nothing will be left on the floor to clutter the room, but everything will be close enough for your child to enjoy.
Instructions
Bookcases and Basket for Collections
1. Have the lumber store cut all wooden pieces to measure or do it yourself with a skill saw. Sand each piece with medium and then fine grain sandpaper.
2. Give each piece a coat of paint that matches your child's bedroom. Dry thoroughly and then paint it once more time. Finish each section with two coats of acrylic polymer. Dry thoroughly between coats.
3. Join the 48 inch sides to the 60 inch top shelf of the bookcase by drilling pilot holes on the outside of the side pieces. Make them ¼ inch down from the top and in from the side and ¼ inch down in the center. Always drop in a bit of wood glue to improve the bond and then screw in woodscrews from the outside directly into the side of the top shelf. Repeat to join the other side and bottom shelf until you have a rectangular carcass.
4. Mark the center of the outside of the 48 inch side boards. This is where your middle shelf will be attached by screwing from the outside into the center of the shelf. Attach the back of the bookcase by drilling holes through the plywood back into the edges of the bookcase. Make a pilot hole for screws every 8 inches all around.
5. Make a second bookcase if you wish and fill both bottom shelves with plastic baskets. Fill the top shelves with books standing upright. You can group similar books between spring type bookends if desired. Use the top shelves for board games.
Build a Work Desk and Rack
6. Use the stud finder to locate studs within the wall. They are usually 18 inches apart. Measure and mark a spot 24 inches up from the floor in the center of each wall stud.
7. Place the two desk braces beneath the 24 inch mark and screw them directly into the studs. Use at least two wood screws in each brace.
8. Lay one 18 inch by 24 inch rectangle over the desk braces and drill through the pine directly into the braces to hold the desk top. Countersink the screws. Touch up later with a bit of paint.
9. Drill pilot holes 3 inches in on both sides of one section of the 18 inch by 24 inch rectangle. Place them at the top and down 6 inches. This will be where the back attaches to the studs. Balance the 24 inch edge on top of the desk and drill through the pilot holes to attach it to the studs.
10. Measure down 2 inches from the top of the desk back and mark the placement for the wooden pegs. Make pilot holes and screw them in place. They can hold a hat collection or small bags of assorted treasures over the work surface of the desk.
Hang the Ball Hammock and Stuffed Toy Chains
11. Use a running stitch on the sewing machine to make two lines of gathering thread on both ends of the nylon net. Gather the ends and fold them over the O rings. Zigzag the nylon to finish. Trim away excess material.
12. Mark two spots on each wall high up in the corner of the bedroom and sufficiently far apart from one another to place the drywall molly screws from which each O ring will hang. Allow enough sag in the netting to hold various balls and pieces of sports equipment. Place it low enough for a child of your age group to have access.
13. Measure and mark 8 inches apart and out 2 inches along the ceiling edge to place the four lengths of plastic chain. Screw a molly screw into each mark, hang each chain, and fasten the clips along the lengths. This is a good way to display stuffed animals or dress-up costumes.
Tags: pilot holes, directly into, , desk braces, down inches