How to Make a Bookcase Out of an Old Dresser

An Easy Weekend DIY Project!

I always seem to find dressers missing their drawers being thrown out for garbage. It seems like such a waste to throw away perfectly good wood. Turning a dresser into a bookcase is a relatively simple DIY project; most of the hard work is completed for you since the dresser makes the frame of the bookcase. Making a bookcase out of dresser should fit into any home décor ranging from contemporary to vintage. Assuming that you find a free dresser you should be able to complete this great DIY project for less than $50.

To Make A Bookcase out of a Dresser You Will Need:

Dresser (Minus the drawers)
Jug Saw
Power Drill
MDF or Pine boards cut to size
Wood putty or filler
Screws
Sand Paper
Primer, Paint, Stain (Your choice)

To start this great weekend DIY project remove the existing drawers form your dresser. You need to break your dresser down to prepare it for the shelves. Use your jigsaw to cut out the front pieces that previously supported the drawers. Use a screwdriver to remove any internal drawer hardware still inside.

Once you have broken your dresser down to a basic shell you need to sand any rough edges left from cutting off the front slats. You should also use the wood putty to fill any holes left form removing the drawer sliding hardware. This is important for the finished look of your new dresser bookcase.

Now, measure the inside of your dresser. This will tell you how wide and deep your shelves need to be. You can take these measurements to Home Depot or Lowes and they will cut your shelves for you. You will find that in general you are charged 25 cents per cut. This is well worth it and alot less expensive than buy a saw.

Now for the DIY part of this project. Start installing the shelving in your dresser mark of inside where each shelf will be place. I like to put one every twelve inches. Pre drill holes through the outside of the dresser in. You should make one hole ear the front of the shelf and one near the rear of the shelf.

Repeat this process up and down each side of the dresser.

Take your precut shelving and drill 2 holes in each inside of the wood that coincide with the holes you drilled into the side of the dresser.