Last week we shared our DIY flower mobiles and intentionally didn’t show the entire wall because it felt unbalanced. To remind you, the wall was pretty plain before we even started the mobile project.

We had planned to hang a mobile above the changing pad, but that left roughly half of the wall above the dresser empty. We wanted shelves there not only for balance but also for practical storage and display—especially once we realized how much space the changing pad takes up on top of our refinished dresser. A visit to a store called Nesting during a trip to Charlotte in February sparked the idea: deep pocket floating bookshelves. They’re perfect for displaying children’s books and help prevent objects from rolling off and falling on the floor.

Instead of buying premade shelves, I decided to build them myself. It felt fitting to combine my grandfather’s woodworking influence and my mother’s decades in a library by creating our daughter’s first little library. Building the shelves also let us tailor their size to the exact needs of the room.

To decide on size and placement, we used blue painter’s tape to map out configurations on the wall—three equal shelves, two staggered shelves, various heights and widths. Eventually we settled on one shorter shelf above a slightly longer one, both aligned on the right side and staggered on the left.

With a layout in mind, we measured and calculated materials for box-style pocket shelves inspired by the ones from Charlotte. We wanted them a bit wider to hold a couple of toys along with books, and slightly shallower so book covers would remain visible. We chose 3/4″ x 2.5″ poplar for the sides because it’s light and affordable, and 1/2″ x 3.5″ maple for the bottoms because it’s less likely to bend under weight. All materials for both shelves cost under $14.

On a Sunday I set up a makeshift workbench and got to work. I used a collection of woodworking tools from Kreg, which made the process much easier. Their pocket-screw system simplifies joining pieces of wood and works with a standard drill—perfect for someone still getting comfortable with power tools.

After cutting all the pieces to size (a miter saw helped speed this up), I set up the Kreg Jig. First I adjusted the depth collar on the specialty bit to match the 3/4″ side pieces so I wouldn’t drill too deep. Then I set the drill guide for the same thickness, clamped the side piece in the jig, and drilled the pocket holes. The jig directs sawdust away from your face, which is a nice touch—safety glasses are still a must.

With pocket holes drilled, I used a right-angle clamp to hold the short side piece against the longer front piece while driving in the pocket screws. Kreg’s self-tapping screws and matching screwdriver bit helped form a tight joint quickly without glue or long clamping times. The resulting joints were strong, and the screws stayed hidden inside the pocket holes for a clean look.

I repeated the process to assemble the four sides of each box and then adjusted the drill settings for the thinner 1/2″ maple base. I drilled pocket holes for the base, slid it into place, and secured it from underneath. The second, slightly longer shelf took about 20 minutes once I had the first one dialed in.

For finishing, we opted to fill the pocket holes with wood filler rather than use plastic plugs. We used a reliable wood filler, let it dry, and sanded it smooth. Then we painted both shelves with two coats of semi-gloss white paint—matching the trim elsewhere in the house.

To hang them we chose a straightforward method: pilot holes through the back of each box into the wall studs or anchors, then heavy-duty screws. This provides a very secure mounting that easily handles the weight of books and toys. After installing the shelves we touched up the screw heads inside each box with white paint so they’re unobtrusive behind displayed items.

Once the shelves were mounted, it was time to decorate. We arranged books and a few toys to create a fresh, modern look that balances the nearby flower mobiles. The shelves cost under fifteen dollars in materials and gave us custom, functional storage with clean lines that complement the nursery.

We’re really happy with how the projects turned out. The shelves provide practical book storage and display space, and they make it easy to change the wall’s look by rotating books, swapping toys, or leaning a monogram once our daughter has a name.

Thanks to the Kreg tools and a little patience, a beginner-friendly pocket-screw system made this project approachable and satisfying. If you’ve tackled any carpentry projects—big or small—we’d love to hear about them; they might inspire our next build.