DIY Built ins : our completed homeschool area

Come see our DIY built ins – these built in bookcases work well for a homeschool area now and double as office space as well!

Our built ins are DONE and we are so thrilled. I really can’t tell you how happy I am about this, and how excited we are for this storage space. Also – let’s chalk this one up to the: “why did we wait this long to complete this project?” category.

Actually, I can tell you why we waited this long if I really think about it.

Our DIY built in bookshelves:

We did a lot of projects this summer, and we ended the summer with the “Phase 1” of this project. 

If you haven’t seen how we built the base unit from stock cabinets and butcher block, you’ll want to check out this post.

By this point, we were just getting into the beginning of our homeschool journey. I wasn’t sure what this year would look like, but I did know that we were about to embark on a big life change. 

I told my husband that we needed to take a break from projects for a few months as we adjusted to this new normal. And it’s a good thing we did make that promise because we really did need it! The last few months have been B-U-S-Y and to be honest? DIY and decorating just wasn’t high on the priority list. This is a little tricky when your business is being a DIY and home decor blogger 😬  BUT we knew it was needed even if we took a financial hit for that decision.

But as time went on, it was apparent that we needed more storage. The flat top of the butcher block was spacious, but often looked messy as it was just storing essentials for our homeschool days. While we still kept items to a minimum, it looked cluttered. And this space is really central in our home – so it made the rest of the house feel like it was messy too!

SO. It was time to built the DIY built ins, and we were more than ready to do so once we decided to tackle the project. 

 

How we built these bookshelves:

You can see how we built these bookshelves in less than 30 seconds by watching this video. If you need me to write out more detailed instructions, I can do that! But it should be pretty self explanatory for this project.

@christinamariablogCan’t WAIT for this extra storage! Taking your time makes the end result sweeter 🥰 ##diytok ##learnontiktok ##builtin ##homeschoolingmom ##diyprojects♬ Stuck in the Middle – Tai Verdes

 

I didn’t put the finishing pieces into this video, but we put crown molding on the top to finish it off. We wondered about putting some decorative molding on the sides of the bookcases, but we’re kind of loving the simplicity for now. Who knows – maybe we’ll add it in later? But we might not either.

 

Final thoughts about the DIY built ins project:

Honestly? This project ended up being a LOT simpler than we thought it would be. 

BUT. Sometimes I need a break. Sometimes you may need a break too. And in a season of life that is filled with so much unrest and uncertainty, it’s OK if all of the projects on your list aren’t getting done. 

I realized we were able to complete these bookshelves earlier, but it would have just been too much for one reason or another. And recognizing our limitations? It’s something I’m working on.

 

 

Can you do me a favor though? Would you mind:

• Follow me on Instagram and/or Pinterest for my blog

 

One last thing

And one more thing that goes alongside the new blog … I made my own kids workbook that’s sold on Amazon! I’ll be showing it more in my stories sometime in the next few weeks but I’d be so thankful if you checked it out if you have kids who are at the age of learning their letters and beginning sounds!

Check out my Alphabet Activity Workbook on Amazon here

 

Thank you so so much for always being so supportive, and for being excited about my projects.

As always – any pins on this post would be so appreciated! It helps to save this content for later but also helps to share it with others…which is what can keep my content free for you! Thank you so much!