How to Turn a Chest of Drawers Into a Bookshelf

Remove the drawers from the chest of drawers. Use the screwdriver to remove the sliding drawer tracks from the inside of the drawer unit, resulting in a clean and smooth surface on the drawer chest’s side panels. Leave the partial surface panels installed to support the drawers inside the unit, as the new surface shelves will rest on these.

Measure the inside length and width of the drawer unit, as these measurements will be the dimensions of the new shelves for the bookshelf unit. Count the amount of drawers previously installed in the chest, as you will require the same amount of shelves. Draw the shelves on the plywood sheet using the length and width dimensions. Use both the pencil and the ruler to create the shelving pieces on the plywood. Cut them all out using a circular saw.

Sand all of the sides and surfaces of all the shelves using the sandpaper. Remove all dust and sanding particles from the surfaces before applying the chosen paint with the paintbrush. Paint the shelves the same color as the chest of drawers frame or a color of choice. Let all the shelves dry before continuing.

Insert a plywood shelf into each of the spaces available in the chest of drawer frame where a drawer was previously installed. Lay the plywood shelves on the partial surface panels that provide stability for the unit and support for the drawers. Hammer 3/4-inch nails into these partial surface panels from the bottom upward so the nails extend into the shelf in question. The ends of the nails will not protrude the shelf itself and will be hidden completely. Repeat this step for each shelf.