Rain Gutter Bookshelves

(See edit below for more how-to details!)

I admit, anything with the word "gutter" doesn't exactly scream "appropriate for kids." But when I saw this great DIY idea, I had to at least check it out. A little backstory:

Being a former teacher, I know that there is tons of research out there that states that children read more and are more engaged in reading when they can see the front covers of their books displayed for them to choose from. This is especially true for small children. My kids are good readers, but I wanted to make them even more invested in reading as an activity and ensure that they continue reading even after the newness of their books has worn off. With that in mind, I found a great canvas sling bookshelf that showed much more of the front covers of the books than traditional stacking. It was $69.99, so we knew it would be a while before we had enough extra money to purchase it, but it remained very much on our radar.

I was telling my sister about this and she sent me a link for Rain Gutter Bookshelves. These are DIY bookshelves that are made from vinyl gutters, just the regular kind of inexpensive gutters you can find at hardware stores. We decided to try them since they showcased the books even better than the original shelf we wanted and was much cheaper!

So this weekend, we got on it. It was pretty darn easy! Seriously, the hardest part of this project was maneuvering the 10-foot gutter through Home Depot without taking anyone out. The basic steps are:

1) Buy gutter (the whole project was about $25)

2) Saw in half

3) Glue on end caps

4) Snap in brackets (we used 2 per shelf)

5) Hang and stock with books

Here is the final result:

I am telling you, within 5 minutes of the girls seeing the new bookshelves, they were both sitting down reading books they hadn't touched in weeks!

We can't decide if the best part of the project was paying 1/3 of what we had planned on paying for a bookshelf or if it was how accomplished my husband and I felt after just a tiny bit of work! Well actually the best part was watching the girls enjoy the books as if they were brand new.

By the way, here is that original link at Raising Olives my sister sent me, with specific instructions and pictures. Try it and let me know how it goes!

Edit: You can view the original link that I viewed for this idea above, it gives more specific instructions with step by step photos. However, I of course can't follow directions, so here is a more detailed look at my version (not that different from the original, but with mistakes added):

Materials (makes 2 five foot shelves):

• 10' vinyl rain gutter


• 2 left end caps


• 2 right end caps


• 4 brackets


• some kind of all purpose glue, rubber cement, or the like


• hacksaw or similar saw


• wood screws


• stud finder (optional)


• drill
  

1. Mark your gutter and saw exactly in half (makes 2 five foot lengths)


2. Run glue over edges of gutter and edges of end caps where they snap on. Glue together according to glue package directions (mine said wait 5 minutes, then adhere).


3. Snap on brackets. You can also slide the brackets on the gutters before gluing on the end caps, but I forgot and found they snap right in place with a little pressure. Slide them into the location you want. This will vary based on where your studs are. Most studs are 16" apart. The middle section between the two brackets ended up being 32" for us, leaving 14" from the brackets to each end. 


4. Find and mark your studs, hold up shelves and mark the hole through the brackets (making sure you are in the stud).


5. Drill your hole and then screw in the shelves through the bracket holes.


6. Add books!
   

I think if you place the brackets a little bit in from the ends of the gutters, you are creating more stability so the middle won't sag over time. Here is a photo of where our brackets are in relation to the end of the gutters:

Hope these added details help!