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10 DIY bookshelf ideas

<p>These creative DIY projects will give any room an edge. If you feel like putting together a bookshelf that will stand out from classic bookshelf frames, try one of these ideas.</p> <p><strong>1. Stained plywood book display case</strong></p> <p><strong>2. Stacked antique benches</strong></p> <p><strong>3. Hanging fabric shelves</strong></p> <p><strong>4. Magazine holder bookshelf</strong></p> <p><strong>5. <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2007/10/diy-wednesdays-wine-crate-display-cases.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">W</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ine crate wall shelves</span></a></strong></p> <p><strong>6. <a href="http://smalltowncraftfair.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/unique-book-shelf.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bookshelf from wooden cable spool and Ikea casters</span></a></strong></p> <p><strong>7. <a href="https://theruncible.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/hanging-bookshelves/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Industrial hanging rope bookshelves</span></a></strong></p> <p><strong>8. <a href="http://projectnursery.com/2011/08/diy-wall-decor-knot-your-typical-shelf/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rope bookshelf</span></a></strong></p> <p><strong>9. Wooden pallet bookshelf</strong></p> <p><strong>10. Wall bookmark shelf</strong></p> <p>Have you made your own bookshelf before? Share a photo in the comments below. </p>

Home & Garden

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10 tips for styling your bookcase

<p>Forget e-books and Kindles. We refuse to believe in “<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.teleread.com/germanic-applause-for-decline-of-west-in-death-of-the-bookshelf/" target="_blank">The Death of the Bookshelf</a></strong></span>”. A well-styled bookcase isn’t just a status symbol and altar to your love of reading – it’s a fixture of any room layout. As soon as you enter somebody’s house, you tend to gravitate toward his or her bookshelf. Your guests will do the same and, yes, they will judge you based on what they see. Your beloved tomes deserve to be stylishly and thoughtfully displayed, bringing you joy whenever you look at it. Consider this a lesson in ‘shelf improvement’.</p> <p><strong>1. Clear the clutter</strong></p> <p>Are your shelves running short of space? Do your hardbacks seem to multiply when you’re not looking? Your collection – when not arranged properly – can make the entire room look like a mess. Start by clearing the clutter. Only keep books you love and intend to read, donating the rest. Then edit down your objects, too. Use stylish storage boxes to keep anything unsightly tucked away.</p> <p><strong>2. Display vanity reads</strong></p> <p>Book aficionados may scoff at the idea, but you can buy a book purely for its cover. Gorgeous coffee table books deserve to be displayed like an accessory. Face out your favourite covers and indulge in those vanity reads.</p> <p><strong>3. Thoughtful trinkets</strong></p> <p>Bookshelves don’t have to just be for books. A freestanding display of meaningful sculptural objects, trinkets and knick-knacks conveys personality and warmth, adding visual interest and texture. Break up the books with candles, vases and crystals. And if you insist on displaying your collection of miniature porcelain pug figurines, then so be it. You are nothing if not eclectic. (A tip here: Placing the object in front of or atop a stack of white books allows it to take centre stage.)</p> <p><strong>4. Colour-code your books</strong></p> <p>Yes, arranging books by colour has become a bit passé – but admit it, it looks good. Also, unless you have a hundreds-strong collection, it’s a streamlined and practical way of arranging things as many of us think visually. (You may not remember who wrote that epic novel you read in high school, but you’re likely to remember the bright blue spine.) A neat rainbow display turns the shelf into a work of art in itself. You can even go a step further and colour code your objects, too.</p> <p><strong>5. (OR) Classify your books by category</strong></p> <p>If the avid reader in you finds colour-coded bookshelves offensive, you can classify them by category. Simply line them up vertically, pulling them forward so their spines are at the front of the shelf. Then make a tag for each genre (‘Gardening’, ‘Travel’, ‘Food’ etc.) by tucking a strip of cardstock under the books and over the front edge of the shelf. A metal label holder on each tag means you won’t even have to ask the at-home librarian to find what you’re looking for.</p> <p><strong>6. Gallery hang</strong></p> <p>If your bookcases are packed with no space to spare, you can still make room to decorate by hanging art from the front of the shelves. A gorgeous frame hung on your bookshelf turns the random cacophony of spines behind it into literary wallpaper.</p> <p><strong>7. Mix up orientations</strong></p> <p>Display books in both vertical and horizontal arrangements to create a balanced scheme. Create a mix of orientations on one shelf, and then dedicate alternate shelves to purely vertical or purely horizontal arrangements. If you can’t stand having books placed horizontal, as it makes it hard to retrieve a desired volume at need, try using a tray or horizontal rack to ground the layout instead.</p> <p><strong>8. Insert greenery</strong></p> <p>Organic elements give shelves depth, interest and help to break up the bookish display. For a touch of whimsy, add an air plant, terrarium, succulent or, if you’re a black thumb, a bowl filled with rocks. Adding plants is a great way to layer the heights on each shelf.</p> <p><strong>9. Pattern happy</strong></p> <p>Are your bookshelves looking a bit blah? Transform them with a quick cut-and-paste DIY. Find samples of some wallpaper that you love, measure it up to fit the inside backs of your shelves and insert for a painterly patterned effect.</p> <p><strong>10. Photos are a must</strong></p> <p>How lovely it is to have your favourite objects mixed in among your favourite reads and photos of your favourite people.</p> <p>How is your bookcase styled? Share your décor tips with us in the comment section below!</p> <p><em>Written by Kathleen Lee-Joe. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/07/10-gift-ideas-for-book-lovers/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 great gift ideas for the book lover in your life</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/06/the-10-most-beautiful-libraries-around-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The 10 most beautiful libraries around the world</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/05/10-unique-things-to-do-with-old-books/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 unique things to do with old books</strong></em></span></a></p>

Books

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What your book organisation reveals about your personality

<p>Every bookworm has their own quirks when it comes to sorting their bookshelves. Alphabetised? Sorted by colour? A total mishmash? Are you more focused on practicality or aesthetics when arranging your books? As it turns out, your organisation style actually tells more about your personality than you might think.</p> <p><strong>Alphabetised</strong></p> <p>People who arrange their personal library in alphabetical order (either by author name or title) are traditional, practical and tidy. You love the classics – Austen, Shakespeare, Dickens – and take great pride in being able to quickly source a new book to lend to a friend.</p> <p><strong>Stacks</strong></p> <p>People who stack their books in neat piles around their house as a form of décor like to be on top of the latest trends. You’re always up for a challenge and love trying new things, particularly when it comes to books – you opt for the hottest new bestsellers.</p> <p><strong>Genre</strong></p> <p>If you like to sort your books by genre or subject matter, you’re a busybody. Always on the go, you like things to be done efficiently and don’t wait around for anything. You have a diverse book collection, made up of equal parts fiction and non-fiction.</p> <p><strong>Colour</strong></p> <p>Have you created a rainbow with your books? People who sort their books by colour are bright, bold and ahead of the curve. You’re creative yet neat, and always bring an artistic eye. You like books with strong characters, sharp plots and witty writing.</p> <p><strong>No organisation</strong></p> <p>Those whose books are arranged in no particular order are no-nonsense, laidback people who don’t take life too seriously. You put your books wherever they fit, with no real method of organisation. You take life as it comes and don’t sweat the small stuff.</p> <p>How do you organise your bookshelf? Does your description fit your personality? Share your results with us in the comments below!</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/07/5-authors-who-hated-the-film-adaptation-of-their-book/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 authors who hated the film adaptation of their book</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/07/10-gift-ideas-for-book-lovers/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 great gift ideas for the book lover in your life</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/books/2016/06/why-you-should-read-every-day/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>8 reasons why you should read every day</strong></span></em></a></p>

Books

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5 tips to kick-start a bookshelf purge

<p>Cleaning is easy, I just bust out the vacuum and go to town. The harder part is decluttering, specifically when it comes to my book collection. Because while I don’t really have an emotional attachment to all of those old dresses I toss out each year, books are another story.</p> <p>Voracious readers will understand my pain. Despite my best efforts to not buy any more physical books, by the end of the year I usually have stacks of them piled up around my already-overcrowded bookshelves. But I’m once again cleaning house and that includes my book collection. Based on some hard-earned experience, here are a few tips for how to keep those bookshelves under control:</p> <p><strong>Be honest with yourself</strong></p> <p>Are you really going to read that book your uncle gave you 10 years ago that you spilled coffee on once and is now all brown and sticky and kind of smells weird? Probably not. And do you really need that novel you read when you were 15 that was maybe about witches and wasn’t very good but there’s a chance you might like it again in another 20 years? No. Look at your bookshelf and have a truly honest conversation with yourself about what should stay and what should go.</p> <p><strong>Libraries are the best places on earth</strong></p> <p>I do not understand why people aren’t just bursting into song about the joys of libraries as they walk down the streets. FREE. BOOKS. All you do is show up and you get rooms upon rooms of free books at your fingertips! Sure, you have to remember to return them, but my library lets you renew your haul digitally with a click of the mouse. And when I’m too lazy to walk the three blocks to the actual building (this happens more than I’d like to admit), I still have access to digital files that I can upload to my iPad. Libraries have saved me millions of dollars over the years, not to mention all the extra free space in my apartment.</p> <p><strong>Toss those mass-market paperbacks</strong></p> <p>Any lover of genre fiction has stacks upon stacks of mass-market paperbacks lying around their house. It’s just so easy to pick up a title or two while in line at the grocery store or stuck at the airport. And while I always enjoy a quick romantic read, these easily-frayed paperbacks are not in it for the long haul. Plus, they’re an odd shape, and they don’t look so great stacked next to your hardcovers. Mass-market books are like the candy of literature: sweet and perfect in the moment, but it’s just not worth holding onto the wrapper. Keep the ones you cherish (I’m looking at you, “Bet Me”), give the rest away to friends or even leave them in a box on the sidewalk. Let other people worry about where to store all those chunky little novels.</p> <p><strong>Invest in E-books</strong></p> <p>I get it: Some people love the smell and feel of a new book. But when you’re a serious reader, it just isn’t practical to only have physical books. I freaked out when I got my first Kindle, and bought about $400 worth of e-books in two days. That’s a whole other problem, but you get my point. E-books are a great way to hold onto titles for years and years without worrying about clutter or whether or not you’re going to have to carve a path to the bathroom made entirely of hardcovers.</p> <p><strong>Turn books in decorations</strong></p> <p>I am not a big proponent of destroying books, even for art. But there’s no reason you can’t turn that stack of hardcovers into a makeshift side table, or stack some on your dresser and put a decorative candle holder on top. I have books tucked all over my house, arranged by colors or bookended by pretty glass bottles. Books can be the best way to decorate, in part because they always make me happy when I look at them.</p> <p><strong>Don’t feel too guilty about that to-be-read pile</strong></p> <p>There’s one pile I don’t touch that often and it’s my to-be-read pile. And sure, it’s probably the biggest pile in the room. But only really special books end up in that stack; those titles I’m dying to read that I just don’t have time for yet (because of all the other books I’m dying to read). I’ll decide whether or not to keep them after I give each book a shot, but for now, this pile stays.</p> <p>Here are two on it right now that I swear I’m getting to soon:</p> <p><a href="http://www.booktopia.com.au/fire-touched-patricia-briggs/prod9780356507040.html" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fire Touched: A Mercy Thompson Novel</span></strong></em></a> <strong>by Patricia Briggs (Ace Books)</strong></p> <p>I’ve read every Mercy Thompson book and I love, love, love them all. This is the latest of the nine novels, following the adventures of coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her soulmate Adam, the werewolf Alpha. The book came out last month and it’s been sitting on top of my bookshelf ever since. But this is one I will absolutely read (and probably keep!).</p> <p><a href="http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-great-hunt-wendy-higgins/prod9780062381330.html" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Great Hunt: The Eurona Duology</span></em></strong></a><strong> by Wendy Higgins (HarperTeen)</strong></p> <p>I’m a sucker for young adult fantasy retellings and for well-crafted love stories. I’ve only heard great things about Higgins’ latest, which is based on the Grimm Brothers’ tale The Singing Bone. This book promises brooding hunters, terrifying beasts and a deep romance that will have readers swooning. As soon as I finish my current read, I’m diving headfirst into The Great Hunt.</p> <p>Let us know in the comments below your tips for decluttering around the house.</p> <p><em>Written by Rachel Carter. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/tips-for-maintaining-wooden-floors/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>4 commandments of looking after wooden floors</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/quick-tips-for-a-beautiful-garden-in-a-small-space/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Quick tips for a beautiful garden in a small space</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/04/easiest-way-to-change-doona-covers/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The easiest way to change your doona cover</strong></em></span></a></p>

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