A key way to encourage children to read more is to make sure you set up an inviting and quiet space where they can access and read their books. Don't worry if you don't already have a dedicated area for this, because I'm going to show you how to use different Ikea items to create kids book storage solutions and hacks that are suitable for kids bedrooms or playrooms, regardless of whether you have a large or small space.
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| Image: @raisingreaderstobecomeleaders |
IKEA BOOKSHELF HACKS FOR KIDS BOOKS
Ikea is our go to for most furniture in our house, because their items are minimalistic and space saving, and this includes storage options for our kids clothes, toys, artwork and books. With limited space available in our townhouse, we have to utilise every storage area we can, so we have multiple nooks around our house for our ever expanding book collection.
I've put together a list of kids book storage solutions for vertical, floor, rotating and even portable bookshelf options, so no matter the area you have to work with you'll be able to find a fun and functional idea your kids will love too. There are options for both front and side storage and they work whether you organise your kids books by author, them or colour.
BEKVÄM Spice Rack
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| Image: @plants_planes_and_pressups |
The original Ikea hack when it comes to kids book storage is to use the BEKVÄM spice racks as small wall bookshelves. The spice racks aren't very deep, but thanks to the front rail they can hold upright picture books in place to create cute little vertical book displays. Being neutral wood they can also easily be painted or stained to blend in with other room décor, no matter your decorating style.
The spice racks are great to create a focal point in nurseries or kids bedrooms, and to make use of small vertical wall space for additional book storage. Each spice rack can comfortably fit 3-4 picture books and small toys or photos.
MOSSLANDA Picture Ledge
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| Image: @raisingreaderstobecomeleaders |
The Mosslanda picture ledges are designed to support freestanding photo frames, however thanks to the front lip, they're also great for displaying small and large picture books. The picture ledges come in many different colours in both 55cm and 115cm lengths.
They can be used to make a single bookshelf with one picture ledge, or used in large groups to make a book gallery display as above. Displaying books this way is a great way to show books of certain themes or colours and children can find the books they want easily because they can see all the front covers.
FLISAT Wall Storage
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| Image: @houseoferamiha |
The Flisat wall storage rack is actually designed to store books {as well as other items}, so it isn't an Ikea hack, however it is a more modern take on the spice rack hack. After the popularity of the spice racks being used by customers all over the world to store books in nurseries and children's bedrooms, Ikea launched a similar, bigger wall storage option that's a slightly longer shelf with a curved front rail, as part of the Flisat range.
If you hang the Flisat rack as intended it can be used to display a number of books and toys, which will be held in place by the front rail. However, it can also be hung upside down and the base will then create a flat shelf and the rail can be used as a small hanging rail to display baby or toddler clothing, or hanging decorations {as shown above}. The Flisat wall storage has become popular both in nurseries and children's bedrooms, as well as dedicated book corners and reading nooks.
FLISAT Book Display
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| Image: Little Lifelong Learners |
The Flisat book display shelf is once again designed to store books, however at floor level, which is great for younger children to have free access to their favourite books. It also allows for front facing book storage, which again makes it easier for younger children to find the book they want.
The Flisat book display shelf is a great addition to reading nooks or quiet corners. You can read more about Casey's reading corner {shown above} here. We've used our Flisat book display in many areas over the last few years including inside the kids teepee as a reading nook, on top of the Kallax shelves and in their bedrooms on the floor.
RÅSKOG Trolley
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| Image: Abby Organises |
If you want to set up a reading nook or comfy retreat in a kids room or the corner of the lounge room, the RÅSKOG trolley is a great portable book storage solution. Each level can be used to store different types of books like Abby has done above with activity books, chapter books and kindles for her kids. Read more about her rolling book nook here.
The beauty of having a trolley bookshelf is that if your kids move bedrooms, or you change the layout of the room the reading nook is in, you don't need to take down or reinstall shelves again, you just need to roll it to the new area and it's already set up.
TROFAST Rotating Bookshelf Hack
If you prefer a rotating book storage option, you can try your hand at some simple DIY and create a rotating Trofast bookshelf by following these steps. Don't worry it's easy to make as most parts are Ikea items and you just need to assemble them together correctly. The end result looks impressive and provides a compact and condensed way of storing lots of picture books in a small area.
A rotating bookshelf is a great way to display books vertically with the spine or front cover showing, but still down low allowing children easy access to the books. They can browse the book collection easily and pick which ones they want by spinning the shelf.
I recommend only using a rotating bookshelf with children who don't climb furniture and make sure they're always supervised as the rotating shelf is not permanently secured to the wall or floor.
FLISAT Doll house
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| Image: @fish.ertales |
The Flisat doll's house doesn't have to be used just for dolls, it's also a fun and whimsical way to display books. The bottom level is a great height for board books and the top left section can fit larger picture books. The doll's house can be used to display books forward facing so children can see the front covers, or side facing to fit more books on the shelves.
The doll house can be used as part of a reading nook to give children access to picture books down low as shown above, or it can be used for wall storage as it can be wall mounted. You can also use it to display a mix of books, toys and trinkets.
BRANÄS Baskets
If you want a book storage option that is down low enough for children to reach, but can be out of sight then the BRANÄS rattan baskets are a great option. They can hold a lot of books and weight, and can be placed in a book nook either on their own, or used with a Kallax shelf where they can be pushed into the cube so the books are hidden completely.
This is a good option for babies and toddlers as you can store all their board books in one area and take them out when you're ready to read. Having them out of sight in the basket means younger children are less likely to dump them all out onto the floor all the time, but they're also much easier to pack away as they don't need to be neatly stacked inside the basket.
OSTBIT Plate Holder
This one may seem like an odd choice for book storage, but the Ostbit plate holder is a great way to store books upright on a table or shelf. They also fit perfectly inside the cubes of the Kallax shelves.
We have quite a few Ostbit bookshelves around our house as I use them to group different types of books for both girls in different rooms. They're the perfect height and width for board books and can also hold taller picture books as well, without falling over.
We also use the Ostbit plate holder for fine motor play activities and other storage in our playroom, you can read about how we use them and other Ikea items in our playroom here.
Magazine File
Magazine files are a great way to collate a group of books together in a small group on a desk, shelf or bedside table. This is a good side storage option if space is limited as well. If you put the magazine file with the cut out side at the front then children can still easily see the book titles on the spine of the books.
Ikea have a range of different magazine files including plastic, wire, rattan, plywood and cardboard options. If you're after a minimalist and cost effective solution, the white TJABBA files are great and have cute little smiley face cut outs at the back.
If your local Ikea is out of stock of these items, you can find similar items here:
MORE IKEA HACKS AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Disclosure - All images featured within this post that are not my own have been used with express permission from the original creators. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience, which means I may make a small commission at no cost to you, should you make a purchase.
