DIY Hidden Storage In Plain Sight With This TikTok Bookshelf Hack

You can transform any room with a custom-designed built-in bookcase, but what if you don't want to house actual books? What if you have clutter you're looking to hide in plain sight? Creating inventive ways of concealing clutter can often feel like a thankless — and fruitless — task, but it doesn't have to be. Enter an incredible hack thanks to TikToker @ugcwithkaytelynn. To add hidden storage in plain sight, you just need some empty boxes and various pictures of book spines. The goal is to print these pictures and tape them to different boxes, creating the illusion of a bookshelf. But only you'll know this faux library houses all your trinkets and treasures. 

If you don't have a printer but have an office supply store nearby, you can usually print color photocopies for less than $1 per page. If you do have a printer, you'll probably only need a handful of copies, so this DIY hack won't use up all of your color ink. If you're worried about wasting ink, you could also print out pictures of black and white book spines, for a more distinctive look. Plus, black and white photos complement any color scheme, thanks to their neutrality. 

Yes, there are beautiful ways to hide a cluttered shelf, such as by adding doors, but this TikTok hack lets you tap into your creativity. For starters, gather boxes for your makeshift bookshelf. If you don't have any boxes, you can always use cardboard, cutting individual sections and taping them together until you have a box (sans the lid). You could also use old shoeboxes, depending on the size of your shelving. Next, you'll need to find the best book spine photos for your project. You can pick neutral tones or even print out pictures of best-selling books. The sky is the limit. 

Once printed, you'll need to remove any negative (white) paper from your photo, creating the illusion of books. Just be sure that your books are taller than your box, as you don't want to see any cardboard once you attach the pictures. Next, tape your "books" to your boxes, add whatever clutter you're looking to hide in plain sight, and voilà! You've got a faux bookshelf with plenty of hidden storage for all your personal effects. What's amazing about this hack is that you can use it anywhere there's clutter; in your living room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, office, and more. You can even add shelving above your toilet and use this trick to house toilet paper!