Awesome Ikea Hack of the Week: Gorgeous, display-worthy bookcases

When it comes to Toronto apartment living, space is usually at a premium. Toronto condo’s aren’t exactly doling out ample space for you shoe collection or your GI Joe figurines. Thankfully, Ikea hacks make storage and display simple and affordable, even in tight spaces.

Today’s Ikea hack uses the very blah Billy bookcase and turns into a shelving unit that’s perfect for staying organized, but doesn’t look boring. We were inspired by this blog post by A House Full Of Sunshine, but we made the hack even easier. Here’s how to do it.

The parts. You’ll need

Any Billy bookcase – $49 and up
Enough decorative paper to cover the entire back of the bookcase, try here

Clear-drying paper glue, try this one

Do it. Assemble the Billy bookcase according to instructions, but don’t apply the backing to the unit. Instead, carefully lay the decorative paper on the front side of the backing (the side that will face out when the bookcase is fully assembled). Use the paper glue to attach the paper to the backing without earing or creasing. Once dry, attach the backing to the unit and you’re done!

The blog that inspired us recommends stencilling a design onto the backing of the bookcase which you could do as well.

Finally, just add your action figures/tea cups/fossils/whatever it is you’d like to organize or display in your home.

Erin Cardone

Born on the Prairies, Erin Cardone grew up knowing there was more to life than canola fields and AAA Alberta Angus. So she escaped, living in Europe and Australia, white-knuckling it through plates of calf brains and raw horse meat, and learning languages she can't remember anymore. After a stint as a jaded, skeptical journalist, she changed tack and began writing rather awesome blogs and showing businesses that advertising is dead, so long live social media, with her businesses Legendary Social Media. She now splits her time between various Canadian cities, Costa Rica and wherever else the wind blows.