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The Crazy Craft Lady

You are here: Home / Home Decor / DIY Concrete Block Bookshelf

January 2, 2012 · 18 Comments

DIY Concrete Block Bookshelf

Furniture Projects· Home Decor· Organize

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See how to make a cinder block or concrete paver block bookshelf – a great DIY project for apartment dwellers that can be made to any custom size you like.

DIY concrete block bookshelf

How to make a concrete cinder block bookshelf


This post contains some affiliate links.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The dilemma:

Two college students in one apartment with no bookshelf in sight leaves for mass chaos.  It all started like this: two law students are capable of doing incredible things to an apartment during final exams.  Everything on the island was from exams, but everything on the table  had managed to find a permanent home there.

I thought I was going to lose my mind among all that clutter.  I began by clearing everything away and moving the table to the opposite wall.  I decided I wanted a shelf on the newly empty wall – a sort of “landing spot” for school supplies and books.

Related: Love the look of paver and cinder blocks? Check out these Creative Cinder Block Projects:

projects to make with cinder blocks
Supply List
  • 4 – pine 1x10s cut 40-inches long
  • Minwax Wood Finish in Jacobean 2750
  • Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Clear Satin
  • pavers – I found mine in the Home Depot gardening department – they were roughly 2x5x8 for the rectangles and 2x4x4 for the smaller squares.  I purchased 20 rectangles and 6 squares
picture

I didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money, and I was officially cut off from making any more Ikea purchases (“I don’t want our apartment looking like an Ikea catalog.”).

I have seen bookshelves made from cinder blocks, but saw two problems with this approach.  1) Cinder blocks are 16 inches tall.  This is just too big for the kind of shelf I wanted.  2) When I think of cinder block shelves I flash back to college dorm and fraternity rooms.

So, on a cold December day, I wandered the garden department at Home Depot. I found pavers that were about 2x5x8 for the rectangles and 2x4x4 for the squares.  Perfect!

How to make a DIY concrete paver block bookshelf

I had some pine 1x10s cut 40-inches long.  Luckily, we have been blessed with an incredibly warm winter so far in Minnesota.  I was able to stain the wood out on my patio, although I’m sure the neighbors were wondering what this crazy chick was doing.  I’ll admit, my setup was a bit odd.  I thought the white trash bags gave an extra classy touch.

picture 2

I used Minwax Wood Finish in Jacobean 2750 (one coat) and Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Clear Satin (two coats).  Just follow the instructions on the can.  This was my first attempt at staining wood, and I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Next came the pavers. I rinsed them off well and let them dry.  Then I began stacking.  I used a ruler to make the pavers they were exactly 2 inches from the edge of the board.

The rectangle pavers went on the first two levels, and the square pavers finished off the third level.  I may still add more square pavers to the top shelf if I want to be able to store textbooks there as well.

bookshelf
cinder-block-shelves-diy-concrete-block-bookshelf-the-crazy-craft-lady-35493

Budget Breakdown:

Ultimately, I’m pretty pleased with the end result.  I think the total cost came in somewhere in the $40-45 range, although I could have saved a bundle by going with cinder blocks.

If I decide I need more storage space, I may buy and refinish something bigger, and move this shelf to the patio for gardening.  I have also contemplated painting the pavers.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

 Pin it - Don't Forget itThis concrete block bookshelf that is stylish, inexpensive, and easy to make in an afternoon. It’s a great way to add permanent or temporary storage to any space.

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Comments

  1. Stacy Johnson says

    February 23, 2013 at 3:43 pm

    Pretty cool, I may make one for the patio!

    Reply
    • aimee says

      April 10, 2013 at 2:50 pm

      If you do, please stop by and let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  2. Irene says

    April 18, 2013 at 7:20 am

    First off, I really love this look! I’ve been looking for something simple and relatively cheap that won’t look trashy. Have you had any trouble with balance or the blocks shifting/moving on their own? Is the top board loose or did you somehow secure it to the blocks beneath it…? I’m very interested in trying this and want to get all the details! 🙂

    Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Jeannie says

    April 19, 2013 at 5:21 am

    My Dad made one almost the same in 1972 and I have made one in my apartment in Tunisia but used glass for shelves as it is cheaper than wood here. Thanks….. love the dog photo.

    Reply
  4. Meredith says

    June 6, 2014 at 11:58 am

    I love this idea! Did you have to mortar the pavers together?

    Reply
    • aimee says

      June 8, 2014 at 5:09 pm

      Nope – just stacked them.

      Reply
  5. Megan says

    February 23, 2015 at 11:19 am

    I love this look but anyone with kids PLEASE don’t build this for safety reasons. Anyone else go for it

    Reply
    • aimee says

      February 24, 2015 at 11:52 am

      Good point, Megan. I definitely did this project in my pre-kid days!

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        March 18, 2015 at 8:45 am

        Love, love, love the look of this shelving unit!. Favor? Will you tell me the sizes of the pavers used; width, length, height? As there are numerous ones at the stores….and would like to build this same style; the length and depth of the wood used? That would be fantastic. Thank you for sharing this idea! Michelle

        Reply
    • Kathie says

      January 15, 2017 at 9:34 am

      Yes, no matter what you say to the kid lets, they’re going climb on things. To make it safe motar the pavers and adhere the bookcase to the wall. Of course if your renting then that wouldn’t be an option Perhaps making the shelves longer and not as high would work?

      Reply
  6. Leslie says

    June 15, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    Thinking of making this and also a bench version. Do you think the 1 x10 are stable enough to sit on?

    Reply
    • aimee says

      July 26, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Leslie, Thanks for the question. I would say probably not. You could double up a few boards, and consider putting a support in the middle. Otherwise, I’m afraid you would end up with a bowed bench.

      Reply
  7. Marcia says

    April 11, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    In the process of making mine now.

    Reply

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About Me

I’m Aimee, The Crazy Craft Lady. I strive to make my home a more stylish, organized, and creative place, while keeping things uncomplicated and budget-friendly. Here you will find DIY projects, seasonal decor and crafts, recipes, and organizing tricks. I hope you stay awhile and leave inspired.

Let’s “make everyday creative” together!

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