DIY A Stylish Corner Bookshelf By Reusing Leftover Wood

Stylish and compact storage pieces are useful in any home, particularly those that best take advantage of tiny bits of unused extra space. This is particularly true of corners, which often remain empty or get occupied awkwardly by plants or other décor that may soften the room's angles, but don't have many functional applications. Outfitting those corners with shelves, however, may be easier and far less expense than you think. By repurposing a wood shipping pallet and some scrap lumber you may have left over from other projects, you can create a sleek corner bookshelf that is perfect for tight spots and costs virtually nothing to create.

This easy DIY from TikTok's @bashmadeit requires minimal carpentry skills and supplies. It can readily be adapted for using wood you may already have on hand, like old pallets. These well-constructed materials are an often-overlooked source for sturdy treated wood that can be used to create a number of budget-friendly wood pallet DIYs. You can usually find them lingering near dumpsters outside manufacturing companies and retailers, or find a score of them on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. 

Begin by dismantling your pallets, removing any hardware and filling any leftover holes with wood putty. Once the surface is prepared, sand and finish your wood pieces with your desired stain or solid paint color. Depending on the width of your shelves, place two or three pallet pieces lengthwise. Other smaller pieces of plank will form a brace across them underneath, making a sturdy shelf fastened with brad nails and wood glue.

For the framework and vertical supports, use two long pieces of scrap wood or lumber for each side for a total of four (you can use 2x2s, 2x4s, or whatever you have available.) Cut down smaller segments to serve as shelf supports, and attach them with pocket holes to the longer boards in a ladder formation. When you have finished the two side supports, use two or three door hinges to attach them together. Lay the shelves you created from pallet wood across the horizontal bars and attach them with brad nails.

You can also make a sleek and slender version that fits perfectly in a corner behind a door. Use two 1x6 planks of wood placed perpendicular to each other spanned by wooden plank shelves that are the width of the door. Fasten the shelves to the board with pocket holes at equally distanced intervals.

Create a smaller table or countertop version of a corner shelf using pallet wood for the vertical supports. Build two sides that fit snugly together using pilot holes and wood screws, or by miter-sawing the edges together at an angle. Use plywood cut into a triangle shape and supported underneath by wooden dowel brackets screwed into the frame. 

With a hammer, you can easily pry apart the individual pieces of wood to get multifunctional planks. This compact unit works perfectly as a storage solution for a small space: Use it in tight spots like kitchen counters, bathroom vanities, or on a corner desk for holding office supplies off the surface of your work area. Or, use leftover wood pellets to increase your closet storage in a unique and stylish way.