
How to Make Rain Gutter Bookshelves
Rain gutter bookshelves are all over Pinterest, and it’s easy to see why: they’re cute AF, cheap, and relatively easy to make on your own. They’re especially awesome for kids’ reading nooks because they store picture and story books with the cover displayed instead of the spine, the better to capture little kiddos’ attention.
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But really you could use rain gutter bookshelves for any collection of narrow books with gorgeous covers you want to display, like art exhibition catalogs (I have a lot of these, myself), cookbooks (ditto), or coffee table books that never managed to make it to the coffee table. And they’re perfect for tight spaces like behind a door or in a hallway. And you know those pictures of closets transformed into reading nooks? Gutter shelves are absolutely made for those!
Convinced? Let’s get down to some weekend warrioring. Here’s what you’ll need.
Rain Gutter Bookshelf Materials
The bare minimum for rain gutter bookshelves includes: Rain gutters I recommend using vinyl gutters because they’re cheap, lightweight, and easy to work with. But you can find aluminum, steel, zinc, or copper rain gutters, if your heart desires. Gutters typically come in 10-feet lengths with widths varying from 4-6 inches (some are even adjustable!). The average cost is $4 for every 10-foot section if you’re using vinyl. If you’re using another material, expect to pay more. Wood screws The number of screws you’ll need per shelf depends on its length. If you need more advice on this topic, chase down an employee at the hardware store. Power drill To screw the gutters into your wall. Tape measure/ruler To measure out the length and height of your shelving. Level Unless you’re a crooked man living in a crooked house, you probably want your shelves to be level. Pencil Mark out where you want to shelves to be and where to put in the screws.Optional!
Gutter end caps These easily fit onto the ends of the gutters. They help with stability and make your gutter shelves look more finished, but are not strictly necessary. Sandpaper If you decide NOT to use end caps, make sure to sand down the edges of the gutters so they don’t scratch or cut somebody, like your kid. Paint Unpainted vinyl gutter shelves look clean and professional. But if you want to pretty them up, pick out some paint while you’re at the hardware store. Ask an employee in the paint department if you need advice on the best paint to use. Brackets Most people screw their gutter shelving directly into the wall. The books cover up the screws so you can’t see them. However, you can buy brackets to screw into the wall instead, which will hold the gutters in place. Reasons why you might want to do this: you don’t want the screw heads to be visible, you’re going for a more industrial look, or you’re putting the shelves up by yourself. Reasons why you wouldn’t want to use brackets: they add an extra step to the process, not to mention more dollar signs to the budget (they’re not super expensive, about $2-3 a piece, but still). They also break up the clean lines of the gutters. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQqXz7Eh0oH/ Gutter corner pieces If you want your rain gutter bookshelves nestled into a corner, buy corner attachments for a cool visual effect you can’t get with ordinary bookshelves. They run about $10 each, which is pricey compared to other items on this list. But they’re totally worth it if your goal is creating a cozy book nook look. Joining pieces If your gutter shelves will be longer than 10 feet, or if you plan on using corner pieces, you’ll need joining pieces to fit them together and make your shelf secure. They typically cost about $4-5. Stud finder If the books you’re resting on your gutter shelves are heavy, or if you have a terror of tippy shelves, you can use a stud finder to make sure your shelves are securely screwed into the wall studs for added stability (recommended). Hacksaw To cut the gutters to a specific length. If you don’t have a saw, or if this step makes you nervous, you can get the gutters cut down at the hardware store. Another person This project is a helluva lot easier when there’s someone to hold the shelves up while another person measures and screws them into the wall.How to make rain gutter bookshelves: the steps
Okay, ready? Let’s put up some kick-ass gutter bookshelves! Here’s your quick guide to making rain gutter bookshelves, with more details below.- Figure out what your rain gutter shelf is going to look like
- Buy your materials
- Cut your shelves to length