Tutorial: hanging book display

ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN POSTING A LINK TO THIS TUTORIAL ON YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE--AWESOME! THANKS SO MUCH. I'M FLATTERED. YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO USE ONE OF THE PHOTOS HERE, AS LONG AS IT IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A LINK TO THIS PAGE. BUT PLEASE DON'T COPY THE TEXT AND POST THE ENTIRE TUTORIAL ON YOUR OWN SITE. THANKS. HAPPY SEWING AND BLOGGING!

 

 If you're here just for the book sling tutorial, skip this intro and scroll down a bit. It begins with the bolded word "tools."

My tutorial on making a hanging book display for kiddos is up on Ohdeedoh now. 

Again, this is my entry in the Apartment Therapy February Jump-Start contest, which called out for small home projects that can be completed in a weekend or two. The person with the most "thumbs up" in each category (kids, kitchen, general home, office/high tech, and green ... am I missing one?) win a $250 gift certificate to Etsy. Heaven, huh?

You can look at all the other entries here, and if you want to know who I'm up against just look at the projects in the Ohdeedoh column. Even if I don't win, there are some inspiring ideas there worth bookmarking for later.

FYI--If you're not familiar with Apartment Therapy, it is the umbrella site for several more focused sites, like Re-Nest (green topics),The Kitchen (cooking/kitchen topics) and Ohdeedoh (babies and kids design and parenting issues).

I'd been meaning to make something like this book display for Bo for a while, and the contest truly inspired me to get off my duff. Nothing like a prize to really get me going, I guess. 

So if you like my project, please head on over to Ohdeedoh and click on "thumbs up" to support it. Thanks!

Here are the directions with a few more photos than I was able to submit to Ohdeedoh.

 

Tools:
-A 47-inch by 42-inch piece of fabric (I used Amy Butler's daisy bouquet). (When you're buying the fabric, ask for 1 1/3 yard, then wash and dry it before cutting it to 47" x 42". It will shrink a bit.)

-Two double curtain rod brackets. I bought mine for about $5 each at Lowes.

-Two, 4-foot long wooden dowels or curtain rods that fit into the brackets. Shouldn't cost more than $3 each.

Drill and drill bits 

-Level 

-Stud finder 

-Pencil 

-General sewing supplies, like a sewing machine, thread and scissors 

-Optional: paint, paintbrush and sandpaper (options 1 and 2) and wooden balls or other end caps for the dowels (option 3).

Steps:
We’re bonkers for books at our house, but allowing our 3-year-old daughter to choose her own every night before bedtime can be a lesson in patience. She’s a dilly dallier as it is, but what makes it harder is that her bookcase, like most bookcases, only displays the spines of the books. Since she can’t read the book titles, she pulls every book off the shelf until she recognizes the cover art of the one she wants. 

I made this hanging book display to help solve that problem. It’s modeled after school-grade book display cases that show the fronts of books, and hopefully will make choosing a bedtime book easier (and faster!). 

Instructions: 

-Fold the fabric lengthwise, with right sides facing, so you are working with a double thickness rectangle that is 47 inches by 21 inches. 

-Using a 1/2-inch seam, sew the fabric together around one of the short sides, the long side and about half-way down the other short side. 

-Turn the fabric right side out through the opening, poking out the corners with a turning tool (a pencil will do—just don’t poke all the way through). 

-Sew the opening shut by folding the raw edges toward each other, then top stitching down that short end of the rectangle. 

-Now you’ll need to sew casings for the dowels on the two long ends of the rectangle. Working with one side at a time, fold the long end over so it overlaps by 2 inches. Pin, then stitch all the way down the length of the fabric. Repeat on the other long side.

-It’s time to hang the hardware on the wall. Locate two studs 47 inches apart on the wall where you want to hang the book holder. (Note: my studs were four feet apart. It’s not a bad idea to find your studs before you start the project and make a book sling that aligns with your studs. Or just use those little plastic things they sell to hold screws in the wall. The bracket packages I buy come with them.) 

-Using a level, mark the locations where you'll need to drill lightly with a pencil, then drill the holes for the screws. 

-Screw the brackets onto the wall. Hang the fabric on the dowels, then insert the dowels into the brackets. The brackets should come with tiny screws that tighten onto the dowels, holding them in place. 

-Load with books. If you screwed the hardware into studs your book holder should be able to handle a good amount of weight, but don’t go too crazy. 

-Option 1: Before getting started, you could paint the ends of your dowels a color that matches the décor of the room or the fabric. 

-Option 2: If you don’t like the color of the brackets, you could paint that, too, with a paint that adheres to metal. Sand the metal first so the paint has something to grab onto. 

Option 3: In addition to or in place of the tiny screws that hold the dowels in place, you could cap off the ends of the dowels with a cute wooden ball or some clever object. I plan to do this but haven’t found the right thing yet. 

Option 4: The brackets don’t jut out very far at all, but if you’re worried about someone bonking their head, sew slipcovers for them with a little padding inside. 

Option 5: If you have enough wall space, make four or five of these and install them above one another. It could be cute to make a rainbow-like display—red patterned fabric for the top one, orange for the next, then yellow, blue, green, and purple.

 

Update:

Option 6: Make the sling reversible, sew a pocket on the front for holding little treasures or applique an animal shape, alphabet letter, etc. Here are some of the slings I've made since I first wrote this tutorial:

 

This one was made for Finn, the son of Meg from Sew Liberated:

 

And here are some slings I've seen on blogs after folks followed my tutorial ...   

By My Life is Written on an Etch-a-Sketch:

By Kunz Family:

By Little Dash:

Melanie's double book slings for her office/nursery, featured on Ohdeedoh:

 

These alphabet book slings were made by reader Angela Chevalier:

This book sling was made by Sarah over at Trixie's Table:

 

I know I've seen others out there, so please drop me a line and attach a photo or a link to your blog. I'd love to add more book sling pictures here. (megan.cooley@comcast.net)

Comments

[Daily Craft]

Great project! I just wanted to let you know that we featured this project on our Facebook page with over 12,000 fans. We’d love it if you’d use our Featured Blogger button, available at: http://www.dailycraft.com/thank-you-for-crafting/. Our audience loved the project and we look forward to sharing more from you. Please let us know if you have any questions or projects you’d love us to feature! Thanks!

[Nancy Ward]

I posted a link to this tutorial today.

Nancy Ward
PaperFriendly
http://www.nancywardcrafts.com

[PS~Erin]

Brilliant. Love this!

[Sarah Zalar]

Made one of these to hold our 'good night' books in our nursery. At the dimensions given, I found the small board books well under the front bar. So I took it down, folded each side under another two inches (lazy way! instead of redoing the whole thing!) and sewed along the edge to make a new sleeve. This dimension makes it much better for the smaller books. Next one I make I will just take 4" off the horizontal dimension if it will be used for smaller books. Great tutorial thanks for sharing.

[Country Fun]

Found this on Pinterest while looking for a solution to our book storage needs. Thanks for sharing and the tutorial. I sew all the time, but it's nice to have clear directions to follow. This sewed up so quick. I adapted for a couple of uses. The primary one is a book shelf sling, not wall. To see check out the posting on my blog ~ http://countryfun.edublogs.org/2011/08/08/book-sling/

[Darleya]

This is awesome! I'm totally going to try this. You are so talented :)

[Stuandcatherine]

this look wonderful. i have seen a bookcase like this but too costly, this is well within my buget and it nice to make things myself. will let you know how i get on. Thank you

[Brooke]

So excited about this!!!! I have been wanting something like this, but waiting on my husband to build me one out of wood will take forever. This one I can totally do for myself. Excited!!!

[Jennifer]

New to your blog and haven't had the chance to dig around yet, but I was wondering if you did the rooster on the wall? If so, is that just fabric? Details!! This is all darling, the hanging book display and the rooster!!!

[Michelle Channer]

I just saw this and I love it!!! I am going to make one for my bathroom..I am so tired of my husbands books sitting on the bathtub! thank you for the great Idea...

[Holly Egli Delph]

Thank You so much!!!! I made 2 of these today, I put one in my living room in the kids corner and then I also made one for our upstairs family room. I love them so much!!! I was able to find fabric that matched the rest of my decor and I am so happy with the way they turned out.

[Ashley]

Made our own version! Here's the blog about it: http://nestingsticks.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-pocket-tutorial.html

[Joyce]

You are a genius! This is a wonderful idea and you are very generous to share.

[Mochaberry]

Thank you so very much for sharing this! ♥

[veronica Charles]

hi ! how much space is between wall and 1st rod? I found brackets but they look like 4" from end to 1
st rod hole....

[Susie]

I run a daycare out of my home and I just made this book sling using your tutorial! I love it! And it was so easy! I would send a picture, but I dont really know how! Thank you for this adorable idea!

[Toni {Smith Peas in a Pod}]

I tried my hand at making these book slings and I love how they turned out. I linked back to you in both my blog posts featuring my son's new book slings. Thank you so much :)

http://smithpeas.blogspot.com/2011/07/get-crafty-book-slings.html

http://smithpeas.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome-to-dylans-nursery-i-post.html

[lila]

Very clever!

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It's very good idea to find the pin before starting a project and make a slingshot, which falls on your studs.

[Cara]

Been waiting for a book solution! Thanks sooo much! Absolutely love it!

[Jenny Mercieca]

I hope this is ok to post...if not, it won't hurt my feelings if you need to remove it! I just thought all these people loved your project so much (including myself) & maybe someone would rather buy mine than make their own! :)
I made 2 & spent a little more $$ to get the silver double drapery rods instead of the wooden rod, but I guess I was too optimistic that my 2 yr old wouldn't use them as monkey bars because even with heavy duty anchors she ripped them out of the wall! :( If you know of anyone that would like to purchase them, I'll sell them both for what I spent on them (won't even charge you extra for my time :) - $50 for both. The only thing you'd need to hang them would be the anchors because I used the ones that came with the rods & they're ruined, but I still have the screws & hardware. I have pictures, but I don't know how to put them on here. Thanks bunches!
jenniferlmercieca@gmail.com

[Alisa]

I love this idea! Kinda bummed I didn't think of it first LOL! ;) To think I paid $60 bucks for a tiny one at Toys R Us and the bright colors are hideous!
Thanks for sharing!! :)

[Michelle Sexton]

this is a great idea! i love it!!

[Linda Michaels]

I LOVE this! Great job....going to make a couple for my grandkids...

[Dana Russell]

A favorite book of mine to read as a kid was Go, Dog Go! My girls enjoyed, This Is My Hair by Todd Parr and Ten Apples Up On Top.

[Monica]

I want to make my 3 girls 1 of these for each, however, we're in a small house & would like to do 2' long ones instead of 4', what would the length & width be for 2' long? This is what I've been looking for for their books, too, but couldn't think of anything! Thanks for sharing this

[Erin]

Do you think you could use fleece material for these? I found a great pattern and then realized it was fleece. Any suggestions would be great!!

[Angela]

I love this idea, thanks :)

[Account Deleted]

Obrigada por disponibilizar o tutorial, beijos

[InweTheGreat]

This is amazing! I am making one of these for my own bedroom! :D

[trina]

So, so clever!

[Sylvei Howitt]

These are really fantastique! very clever and beautiful indeed.
Thanks for sharing! X

[Jinna]

Where can I buy those brackets?

[Candice]

these are awesome! do you ever sell the slings? i am not much into sewing, but i think if i had the slings i could do the rest!

[sarahscott2000@yahoo.com]

Where did you get the curtain rod things?

[Vanessa@DesignsbySessa]

Just saw this on Pinterest! Such an awesome book storage idea! Seriously! Gotta repin it!

[Karlyn Lew]

Found this via Pinterest and...THANK YOU!!! I've only been using my machine (older than me, by the way) for less than a week and I just made this in under 2 hours! Your tutorial was soooo easy to follow!

[Alexandra]

Do you make these for people? Like I can order one & pay for shipping?! & the bookshelf too ofcourse

[Danielle]

These are too cute! I just found you on Crafting Roulette. I would love for you to link up to Blissful and Domestic Feature Friday Linky Party.

Danielle
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/search/label/Friday%20Link%20Party

[Jamie Pannell]

I want the make a few of these, but I am concerned about them keeping a good form. Has anyone used any interfacing or fabric stabilizer with theirs? I am interested to see if that helps?

[Kristi Hooke]

Thanks so much for the great tutorial! I'm an avid reader and am collecting a lot of children's books for my baby due in August. This was a perfect solution for our nursery. I made 2 of them today and now have to not so patiently wait for our nursery to be painted before I can hang them up! I also had some left over spray paint from a lamp I updated for the nursery, so I used the spray paint for the ends of the dowels. I'm hoping it turns out well. I will send you finished pics once I have them hung up. Thanks again!

By the way, I found you via Pintrest...

[Laura]

I know I'm a little late to the party but I'm desperate to make this here in the UK but am struggling to find the double rod curtain brackets. Any help? Are there sites I could order them over from the US?? Thanks!! xxx

[Christina]

I can't find this "enclosed" version of the double rod bracket ANYWHERE! The only ones I can find are open at the top and just secure with a little screw, which makes me nervous. Does anyone know where this hardware can still be found? I can't wait to make these!

[Mimi]

Do you have to use double thickness fabric if you are using a double print heavy upholstery fabric? Just wondering. Gr8 idea. Making these right now for my grandkids.

[Nikki]

This is SUCH a great idea! Unfortunately I live in a rented flat and am not allowed to fix things to the walls. If I did, I would make this immediately! As it is, I've adapted it slightly by using a radiator airer. Definitely not as cute as yours but i'm still pleased! I've blogged and linked back to your site.

[Dona Grafton]

I love this. Thanks for the fabulous Idea!

[Abigail]

I love it!!
Is there anyway I can put this together without sewing? I don't have a sewing machine =(

[Amy]

Love this - my sis and I are going to make them for her playroom. I made this one for my sewing corner, and added a pincushion with velcro that I can transfer to my wrist when I'm sewing: http://pinterest.com/pin/146789269075305632/
I'm thinking these will make good magazine racks in the living room too. Also want to try a different way of making one that will attach to the guard on a child's high bed - my son's bed is always full of books so he will love this. Thanks!

[Melanie]

What are the measurements of the book display after it is finished?

[Nicole]

This is awesome. I will be mentioning your post in my blog.

[Marlene Courvelle]

I will definitely be trying to make this. THanks for a great idea! Love it!

[Erin]

Where are the brackets from and what are they called? I have made my own rendition of this and I am wondering where to get my brackets??

[Jamie]

Very exciting tutorial! I have Pin'd it. :) Thank you!

[Gillian]

Where did you get your dowels? I can't find any long enough in the hardware stores or craft stores. Have any other ideas for me? I have the fabric part all ready to go, so sad if I can't find the silly dowels!

[Bethany]

Thanks for the great idea, FYI I linked you on my blog. Check out my nautical magazine rack version! http://www.findingpinsandneedles.com/2012/09/nautical-mag-rack.html

[Shari N]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing the idea!

[Lea]

Thank you for this tutorial, I just made two for my girls and we ALL love them!
Perfect for bedtime reading for my oldest and storytime for my youngest!!!!

[Tara]

Does the 1 1/3 yard fabric make 1 book sling? and how long is it?

[Melissa]

Did this using clear vinyl and the books appear to float on my daughter's wall. Came out great! Thank you for the stellar instructions!

[Kat]

I have finally got around to making 3 of these for my daughters room and I love them. Thanks so much for the tutorial. If you would like to see them, here is the web page.

http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii512/JamilyCreations/Other/IMG_0290800x543.jpg

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[Christy]

I made this for my daughter and it turned out wonderfully. We had a slight problem in that my daughter's hand doesn't fit between the dowels well but that isn't your fault. She loves her book hanger. Thanks for posting this!

[EngineerMom]

What a great idea! I'm going to do this for my son's room.

I noticed in some of the pictures that the dowels may sag under the weight of the books. An alternative to a wooden dowel is electrical conduit. I've used conduit to make curtain rods, and it's very lightweight (usually made of aluminum) but much stiffer than wooden dowels. Just a thought out there!

[Elizabeth]

Loving this idea, thanks for sharing. But thinking these are not going to work now that we are on to Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Rings. Any tips about making them with a wider spacing or with something flexible, eg bungee elastic, rather than dowel? Anyone tried it?

[Carol]

I love these. I work in a small public library in our village. I have been looking for inexpensive shelving as the budget has nothing to pay for more metal shelving. These would be great on a small wall where we have no shelving in the children's area.
I also think these would be great to keep library books, or children's rented DVD's, in to keep them separate from their own books.
I hope I can get approval to purchase supplies and make two or three of these for our little library. Thank you!!

[Mariah Wilbanks]

Made this tonight. I love it, but in can only get like 2 books deep in it. Do they make brackets with more space between the rods?

[Bec Perkins]

Really a great way to prepare the Book Display using the fabric and some screws. I am going to prepare the Hanging Book display for my Kid. I hope he will love it.

[Heather V.]

Would you mind sharing the final dimensions? I just finished one and it came out to 46"x9".... a little too deep to see the books, I'm thinking I'll make the next one much shallower. Just curious what your final dimensions were :) I can't wait to hang them on her wall... they are super cute! Thanks for sharing such a great idea!!

[Juliet]

Just made one of these and am a little disappointed. I love the look and all but the gap between the posts is too small for "regular sized" books. Only the super thin ones will fit in any significant number. Going to try different brackets to see if I can widen that gap...

[Pippa Buxton]

After some time I have finally come to blog this project for our Aussie community: love you to check it out here http://buxtonbaby.com.au/news/2013/05/bookshelves-diy-sling-book-display-ideas-tutorial/

[Jeanette]

I'm slower than most at discovering this post. Love the idea and the look of these. You mentioned finishing off the end of the dowels, but said you hadn't found the right item yet to do so. I recently saw a post for curtains that used buttons to finish off the dowel. You'd want to be sure they were well anchored, of course, so the kids couldn't pull them off. But the possibilities and colors would be unlimited.

[aimee]

Adorable! What a great idea! Thanks for the tutorial!

[britt]

You can find much less expensive double brackets at ikea, fyi

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[Jenica]

These are so cute! Thank you for the inspiration. Have you found over time that simply using the print fabric is enough support to hold many books or would you recommend lining with additional interfacing for support?

[KJ@letsgoflyakite]

Thanks so much for your tutorial and inspiration. I made two slings for my daughters' bunk beds. Book slings are great for bunk beds, especially for the top bunk where there is no bedside table.
I posted a couple of photos here
http://www.letsgoflyakiteuptothehighestheight.blogspot.ca/2013/11/book-slings-for-bunk-beds.html

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I love this idea! I hope to make this for my little girl because I SO know what you mean about picking bedtime books! I'll send you a picture once I finally get to do it!

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