Turn Your Closet Into A Mini Library With DIY Pallet Shelves

Have you always dreamed of having a home library? Books lining the walls from floor to ceiling, a Beauty-and-the-Beast-style sliding ladder resting against them, and perhaps a single cozy reading chair inviting you to settle in near a crackling fireplace — you can picture it so vividly in your mind. Well, if your current reality doesn't include the space or the budget for your dream library, there are still ways to create a home library in a small space and with a small budget. With a little creativity and wood pallet shelves, you can carve out your own mini-home library for all those books you definitely will get around to reading ... one day. 

One library-worthy spot in your home is a closet. Chances are there is one closet around the house that is underutilized and just begging to be transformed into a book nook. If all of your closets are stuffed, let your desire for a library motivate you to clean one out. Follow the six-month rule to decluttering the closet, and then reward yourself by turning it into your dream library — or at least one you'll be proud to show off. 

Of course, every library also needs shelves, and coming up with space-saving shelving is key for a closet library. One budget-friendly hack is to take wooden pallets and fashion them into narrow bookshelf pockets to hang on the walls and inside the closet door. You can use the pallet's existing structure for the shelves, so all you'll need to do is cut it down to size. 

Pallets are usually easy to source for free but a little internet searching will help you find local recommendations of stores that are happy to let you take them. There are tons of DIY wooden pallet shelf ideas out there, so chances are you can build all the shelving you'll need for your mini library for free! Before you load up your pallets, make sure they are the right kind for this project. Pallets come in several variations, and this DIY needs a two-way reversible pallet, which is made of deck boards that run along the top and bottom of the pallet, and stringer boards, which are the three or four center boards that connect the top and bottom deck boards together. Another common type of pallet uses blocks to connect the deck planks instead of stringers, which won't work for this DIY because the stringer boards act as the base for the shelf. 

Once you have your pallets, plan your cuts. Notice how many stringer boards are on your pallet, and measure your shelves from there, accounting for the width and height of each shelf. Depending on the pallet, you could get two or even three rows of shelving. The deck boards will serve as the front and back of your pocket shelf, and the stringer as the bottom. Consider cutting the front deck boards shorter than the back so you can easily see and grab your books. Sand, paint, or stain the shelves once they're cut, and then screw them to the walls and closet door.

The key to converting a closet into a dream home library is utilizing the space wisely, and the shelving configuration is priority number one. If you have a shallow closet, you can fit the interior with traditional shelving and install pallet shelves to the back of the door. Just be sure to account for the shelving depths and placement so the door will be able to close. Or, you could use pallet shelves along the back of the closet and even the sides if room allows, which may open up space in the closet for seating, such as a bench or a bean bag. This could also be a fun way to turn a closet in a kids' playroom into a reading nook. Pallet pocket shelves are handy in larger closets too. Give each person in the house their own pallet shelf to store their books, or place one on the ground next to your reading chair to keep your current reads.

Don't forget that decorating a small space is an opportunity to indulge in bold aesthetics.  Line the walls with a gorgeous patterned wallpaper or paint the closet a statement color. Install interesting lighting to give the small space its own distinct ambiance. When it comes to styling the shelves, you can organize your books by color and hang some wall decor items around your pallet shelves. You could also apply peel-and-stick decals to the pallet boards for added flair. Just be sure to stick to the two-thirds rule for organizing and decorating bookshelves.