DIY Bookcase Design

Line up the edges of your carpenter's square with the edges of your MDF (dense compressed wood) to mark off the backs for your shelving units. Draw four or five rectangles 1 foot high by 2 feet wide, along with six or seven 1-foot by 1-foot squares.

Cut out your shelving backs with an electric handsaw. Pull the saw slowly through the MDF to avoid crooked or rippled edges. Lay the backs in piles according to size.

Draw two 10-inch by 10-inch rectangles for each shelf back; these are the sides for the shelves. Draw two 2-foot by 10-inch pieces for the top and bottom of each rectangle, and two 1-foot by 10-inch pieces for the top and bottom of each square. Cut out your pieces.

Divide your pieces into groups, laying one back with four corresponding sides. This helps avoid confusion during assembly. Gently sand the edges and sides of each piece. This gives the finished project a smoother look and eliminates jagged cut marks. Wipe away the sawdust with cheesecloth.

Run a bead of liquid nails over the long edge of a bottom piece of one of your shelves. Press the piece against the bottom of the corresponding back piece, making sure the edges and sides line up exactly. Let the liquid nails set for five minutes and glue the rest of the pieces in place, drawing beads of liquid nails up the top and bottom edge of each 10- by 10-inch piece to secure them to the top and bottom. Let all of your shelves cure overnight.

Stack and arrange your shelving as desired. You can create pyramids, conventional-looking shelves, several narrow shelf towers or shelving that looks like stairs. Put your books into place.