Here's how to make your own invisible bookshelves to float around your home
The INSIDER Summary:
A DIY floating bookshelf is basically an L-shaped wall bracket.
The trick is hiding the bracket with the bottom book.
It adds a magical, cozy touch to any room.
Whether you're a book-lover, a home decoration enthusiast, or both, floating bookshelves can make a room feel imaginative while using wall space effectively.
The way these floating bookshelves work is by using a bottom hardcover book to conceal the shelves. The end result looks like the stacked books are floating in midair.
You can buy an Umbra Concealed Bookshelf, which was invented by Pratt Institute student Miron Lior. They're easy to install, and you don't have to ruin your books.
Or you can make your own as a DIY project, which actually isn't as hard as it sounds.
Basically, you need one or two metal wall brackets. Screw them into your wall so that they're level with each other. Also make sure they're close enough together to hold the book you want to put at the bottom of the shelf. eHow recommends spacing them four-and-a-half inches apart, like so:
If your wall is made of drywall, it might be wise to use drywall anchors with your screws.
Now you just have to pick a hardcover book to put on top of it. eHow suggests cutting two slits in the book jacket before fitting the book back into place - you can see the further instructions here.
If you want to avoid cutting holes in your book jacket, Caitlyn at Instructables recommends another tweak - you can velcro the back flap to the book's pages. That way, the bracket sits between the internal pages of the book and the back cover. The book is velcroed together so that the back flap doesn't hang down, and so that the bracket is concealed.
This DIY video shows you how it's done:
And voila! Now your brackets are concealed, and you can start stacking your books.
Just don't put too much weight on the bracket. Here are some examples of what you can do with the look, from Pinterest:
Have multiple shelving levels, so it looks like the books pile up to the ceiling from midair.
Take up a whole wall, using it as a serious storage method.
Have them frame other parts of your home.
Or turn it into a floating nightstand.
