Make An Adorable Kids' Bookshelf With A Classy IKEA Spice Rack

There are a lot of ways to bring functional charm when decorating your kid's room, from cute lamps to trendy window coverings. Falling perfectly into this category is a front-facing bookshelf. These are proven to increase the amount of interaction kids have with books, due to their inviting positioning of reading material for children who are visually wired. If you like the idea of a front-facing bookshelf but have a limited budget or little spare room in your house, an unlikely, classy product from IKEA could help you make an adorable kids' bookshelf: the BEKVAM spice rack.

Bookshelves don't always have to be pieces of furniture, in fact, wall-mounted shelving has become a popular way to display books and artwork alike. IKEA's BEKVÄM spice rack ($6.99), which is a simple wall-mounted storage solution, can seamlessly be converted into a child's front-facing bookshelf with ease. All you need for this DIY is a disassembled BEKVAM spice rack, some paint, and a paintbrush or two. Remember to prep your project space in advance to guarantee safe breathing conditions and prevent dripping paint in your home. Using a paint that is suitable for unfinished wood — such as latex paint — paint the sides, base, and front bar on the bookshelf, allowing sufficient time for it to dry. Once the surfaces are no longer tacky, you can proceed with assembling the bookshelf and hanging it on the wall where it can be used to display your little one's favorite stories. 

Because this project is beyond easy to pull off, it provides you with plenty of options to make it your own. The most simple way to personalize it is to play around with the colors you use. For a young baby, there are lots of chic nursery ideas for every parent when it comes to colors — think white, soft pink, beige, yellow, green, or blue. An older child who has a distinct favorite color, on the other hand, might enjoy a front-facing wall-mounted shelf that reflects their personal style. If you have a large collection of children's books and some more money to play around with, you could purchase several spice racks, painting each one a different complementary color: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue shelves could adorn the wall of your playroom, making for a delightful rainbow visual. While the BEKVAM as a bookshelf works wonderfully well in a child's bedroom or play area, you could embrace other colors that work well with your home's décor scheme if you don't have a child-specific space in your home.

The product description of the spice rack doesn't state a weight limit, but it's best practice to be cautious when loading it up to prevent the shelf falling out of the wall. It's also worth noting that these bookshelves could prove tempting for young children to pull on if they enjoy climbing — remember to supervise them closely, especially right after installation, to keep this from happening. This is just one of many kids' room décor ideas that help children learn.