I’m currently making over our playroom and turning it into a “tween” hangout space (update: you can see that makeover here!) and the boys really needed more shelving for books and LEGO sets. I decided to put my own modern “glam” spin on the typically industrial style DIY pipe bookshelf.

I love the gold, and while they won’t always be styled this neatly (because boys), today I’ll walk you through the step by step tutorial of how I made it.

Project Supplies:

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• 1×12 boards
• Pocket Hole Jig
• 1 1/4” Pocket Hole Screws
• Drill/Driver
• Countersinking Drill Bit
• 2” Wood Screws
• Sander
• Paint or Stain
• (12) 6” long 1” thick Threaded Steel Pipe Pieces
• (24) 1” Steel Pipe Flanges
• 1/2″ Construction Screws
• Acetone
• Latex Gloves
• Rusty Metal Spray Primer
• Gold Spray Paint
• Wood Filler
• Putty Knife
• Tack Cloth (optional)
• Sanding Block
• Furniture Paste Wax
• Cheesecloth
• White Lint-Free Cotton Cloths (an old t-shirt works fine)

How to Build a DIY Pipe Bookshelf

Step 1: Cut Your Wood

Cut your 1×12 boards to the following dimensions: 6 pieces at 3’ long each and 6 pieces at 12” long each. Then I gave everything a good sanding with my random orbit sander.

Step 2: Drill Pocket Holes

Next, I drilled 3 pocket holes in one of the short ends of 6 of my short 1×12 pieces. These will be the ends of each bookshelf.

Step 3: Attach Sides

I attached the ends to the long pieces of 1×12 using 1 1/4” pocket hole screws. This long piece will be the top of each shelf so we will flip it over later.

Step 4: Attach Bottom

After the “tops” had been attached to the sides or ends of the shelves, I attached the bottom (we’re working upside down) by pre drilling holes with a countersinking drill bit and then attaching it using 2 inch wood screws.

I wanted to use pocket hole screws on the top side so when we flip it over the screws won’t be visible from the top.

Step 5: Patch Knots and Holes

After everything was attached, I patched over the knots in the wood using wood filler to prevent bleed through later on since I plan on painting this.

Step 6: Paint or Stain

I painted it with Behr Marquee paint and primer in one in the color White 52.

I do typically use a separate stain blocking primer but for this I didn’t bother. You can check out my furniture painting tutorial here where I share my tips and the technique I use to get the most professional looking finish possible. I painted two coats of paint total, allowing it to dry completely in between.

Step 7: Clean Steel Pipe and Flanges

While the paint dried I turned my attention to the steel pipe. I cleaned all of the pipe pieces and flanges with acetone to remove any residue.

Step 8: Spray Paint

I primed the pipes and flanges with Rustoleum rusty metal primer, then I spray painted them with metallic gold spray paint.

Step 9: Seal Shelves

While the spray paint dried, I sealed the shelves with some furniture paste wax.

You can use polycrylic or water based polyurethane too, just whatever you prefer.

When I apply paste wax, I use cheesecloth, and I dip it in and coat it well, and then fold it over and apply it through a layer of cheesecloth. Then I wait about 20 minutes and buff it with a clean cotton cloth. An old t-shirt works great for this or you can buy a package of cotton rags at home depot.

Step 10: Assemble

I screwed the pipe into the flanges, then I flipped the bottom shelf over and attached the first pipes to serve as the legs, I used 1/2″ construction screws and because I’m only using 6 inch pipes, it’s a tight fit so you’ll want to use a compact sized drill for this or use longer pipe.

Ryobi sent me their new compact series drill and impact driver and they worked great for this project. I started by pre drilling holes but quickly got impatient and skipped this step for the remainder of the shelves. After I attached the first 4 pipes I then flipped it back over.

I attached 4 more, measuring about a 1/4” in from each side and positioning it flush with the front and back of the shelves.

Then I attached the next shelf using the same method, trying to get everything as straight as possible.

I repeated the process until all 3 shelves were attached.

You can check out the YouTube video for this project here:

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• Modern Dining Room Makeover
• How to Paint Furniture: A Beginner’s Guide
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• Project Gallery

Thanks for visiting!

-Erin