Bookshelves made from rain gutters!

Written By:  Michelle Fortin @ Making Our Dream

Things are a bit crazy these days in my house. I have a 16-month-old son, Kenton, who only stops moving when he’s sleeping. I’m due in two weeks with his little brother or sister, so my own movements are limited to say the least! Also, my husband and I launched our new blog this week, Making Our Dream. So, crazy-busy, that is life at the Fortin house right now.

To get ready for the new baby, we are moving Kenton out of the nursery and into a “big boy” room. We are not quite ready to reveal the entire room, but one project is done and it turned out great. That’s what I’m sharing with the Her View From Home crowd today!

The bookshelves in his new room are made from rain gutters! They’re perfect because they are durable, inexpensive and super easy to install. So easy, in fact, a toddler can help.

We started with three, ten-foot sections of gutters – all available at any hardware store for around $7.00 each.

Then, we used a hacksaw to cut them to five-foot sections. (Note: the toddler did NOT help with this part!)

Then, we simply affixed the “shelves” to the wall. We used brackets and end pieces sold separately – but in the same section – as the gutters. This is where the project budget can add up a little bit – as each of those items cost $2.00 or $3.00 apiece.

Since we did three shelves, we used six end pieces and six brackets – two per shelf.

The brackets make it really easy to just screw the shelves to the wall.

From start to finish, this project was complete in less than an hour!

A perfect project for two parents with limited time on their hands and a toddler in need of entertainment.

Here’s how the shelves look with the little reading nook we added for Kenton. I’ll be revealing his full room soon on our blog. It’s a bike room with a nod to my husband’s favorite sporting event all time: Le Tour de France. A bit different, but fun! The bookshelves will help balance the sporty look with some academia (at least that’s what I’m telling myself!).

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Articles by Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin and her husband, Jason blog about their DIY home improvement adventures on their site, Making Our Dream. That’s where you’ll also hear more about her life as a part-time SAHM to Kenton (born 5/2011) and baby #2 – due to arrive in October 2012. In addition to being a wife and mom, Michelle also teaches broadcast journalism at Arizona State University, is actively involved in her local MOPS group, dabbles in photography, and is a self-confessed social media addict. Currently, she lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she and Jason bought their first home in 2009. It was a foreclosure that’s needed quite a bit of work! If Michelle looks familiar, that may be because you remember her as Michelle Frey – when she anchored the weekend newscasts on NTV a few years ago. She also taught a few classes at UNK. The years she spent in central Nebraska produced some of the best memories and dearest friends a girl could ask for – which is why she’s thrilled to be a part of the Her View From Home team.