Cubby Bookshelf for Free! Part 1

I had a yarn storage issue. Every time we needed yarn for projects, we would have to pull out many bins to pick colors or different yarn types.

I visited my friend Julie (who was the one to make our family afghans for Christmas here is the blog http://thesecretisgratitude.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-sweet-afghaning-friend.html) and she had the coolest way to store her yarn. She went to Home Depot and bought 2 cubby shelf units and stacked them and used the cubbies to store her yarn.

I wanted to do the same. I went to Home Depot and checked prices. They were almost $50 for one and it wasn't the size I needed for the top of my desk. I wanted something that would fit all my yarn and one shelf was not big enough but two wouldn't fit on my desk. I looked around for something to "make" something similar and the only thing I could find were paper "tax" storage boxes with lids. I bought 20 of them for $20 on clearance. I didn't like the idea and didn't like the size and the cost but wasn't sure what else to do.

I said a little prayer for guidance and when I pulled into my garage, there was a priority mail box I had received waiting for me to take it to the recycle bin. I had a flash of genius. I had a whole case of priority boxes just that size from when I used to sell eBay. It was a new case that wasn't even opened. So, I opened it and started making the boxes. I lined them up how I wanted the shelf to be.

I got out my packing tape and started taping the back together. I taped them all at the same time from end of the shelf to the other. Then, the other direction. Since I was planning on spray painting it, I didn't want the tape to go onto the sides much so I taped the back well.

Once the back was taped, I put the boxes up like shelves and I first tucked the side flaps in first and then the bottom flap and then the top to hold the sides in better. By pushing them into the box, it gives the box stability and more strength.

The last thing to do is to tape the fronts together. I took small pieces of the clear packing tape and taped the shelves together as you can see. I pulled them tightly together before taping so there were no gaps or room for movement in the shelf. You can see the tape in the top photo where I taped the shelves together.

Tomorrow, I will show you how I used and decorated it. I was so excited that I added another shelf. I put two more together but wasn't able to use both. It was easy to cut through the tape and just use the one. I turned the other on end and made a little end table bookshelf that stands near my desk. I think the possibilities are endless with this idea. And, it is free and recyclable.