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Locker Bookshelf - Full Size

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freestanding wood locker bookshelf
Difficulty
Intermediate
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Need better organization in your entryway or hall, but it's too narrow for a hall tree or bench, and don't want to drill holes in your wall?

Build your own locker unit!  It's the size of a bookshelf, and is freestanding - so you can move into your home without drilling holes in the wall.  You can build it with basic tools and our free step by step plans with full diagrams, shopping and cut lists.

Need a smaller size?  We have plans for a smaller locker bookshelf here.

Photo by KHAWLEY5 - modified in height

Dimensions
locker unit freestanding wood project
Dimensions are shown above.

Preparation

Shopping List
  • 44 – 1 1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws
  • 2″ brad nails
  • 1″ brad nails
  • 3 – 1×12 – 12 foot Pine or Whitewood Boards
  • 4 – 1×2 – 8 foot Pine or Whitewood Boards
  • 1 – 1×3 – 4 foot Pine or Whitewood Board
  • One sheet 1/4″ plywood, paneling or MDF
  • Wood Glue
  • Wood filler or Pocket Hole Plugs 
  • Coat Hooks
Cut List
  • 2 – 1×12 @ 67 1/4″ (sides)
  • 3 – 1×12 @ 46 1/2″ (shelves)
  • 1 – 1×12 @ 49 1/2″ (top)
  • 2 – 1×12@ 36 1/2″ (locker sides)
  • 1 – 1×2 @ 48″ (header)
  • 2 – 1×2 @ 65 3/4″ (side trim)
  • 1 – 1×2 @ 49 1/2″ (crown)
Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Hammer
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Circular Saw
Jigsaw
Brad Nailer
Power Sander
Level
Drill Bit Set

Instructions

Step 1

Build the Box

This is so easy. Just drill pocket holes on both ends of all of the shelves and the top ends of the sides. Drill three pocket holes per end, as shown in the diagram. Then mark the sides for the joints of the shelves. Apply glue to the shelves and screw in place with 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws and glue.

Step 2

Locker Dividers

Mark the middle shelves as shown above. Drill pocket holes on both ends of each of the dividers. Use 1 1/4″ screws and glue to attach dividers to the shelves.

Step 3

Back

I purposely choose to make the back 48″ wide so that 1) you don’t have to rip plywood and 2) you don’t have to waste plywood. Use 2″ nails and glue to nail the back on. Make sure you all the shelves and dividers too.

Step 4

Face Frame

Drill pocket holes on both ends of the footer and header. Drill two pocket holes per end. Mark legs 3″ from bottom and screw the footer and header to legs as shown above. Tack the frame to the face of the cabinet.

Step 5

Attach front top trim to finish out the front edge of the cabinet.

Project Type
Entryway Furniture
Hall Trees
Lockers
Bookshelf and Bookcase Plans
Room
Entryway and Mudroom
Style
Cottage Style Furniture Plans
Farmhouse Furniture

Comments

Anna White (not verified)

Tue, 09/28/2010 - 19:15

Hi Anna,

Congratulations on your special feature..wow..what an achievement! You must feel so very proud..and rightly so ; )

So nice to meet another Anna White on the other side of the globe...who also has a passion for Interior Design. Stumbled across your blog via Honey were Home...and look forward to sitting down with a nice cuppa and browsing through your posts.

Warm Regards,

Anna x

c b goode (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 00:11

I love this magazine! Congratulations! It has been so much fun to watch your blog evolve. I'm so excited that all your hard work is paying off. Keep it up:)

Jodi (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 01:23

Ana - first and foremost, THANK YOU. For what you are doing, thank you. Secondly, congrats on the article. Can't wait to see a copy.

Kate (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 03:01

Congrats on being in the magazine!

I had to say, I love this plan and need to make sone when we move into a house (assuming there's a spot for one).

ChristyMiller (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 03:42

I would love to build this, but I just don't have a wall for it! Our entry way has windows do I can't do anything tall :( I have used your plans to make a shorter bench though! thanks Ana!

Elizabeth (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 03:43

Congrats on your feature!! I'm anxious to go get a copy of the magazine! I have such a long list of things I would like to build, I think I may need a bigger house!

Shawnda (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 04:03

Congratulations! I've been wanting to check out Fresh Home and your link just gave me the push I needed. I wasn't sure if I'd love the magazine (although I have to say that Family Handyman is fabulous), but if you're featured, I know I'm going to love it.

I haven't built anything from your site yet, but I have quite a few things in my "to build" file and plan to get started soon. I just got my shop cleaned up from building a large cage for my daughter's pet rats, and boy, instructions like yours would have saved me some time and frustration with that project. I'm feeling inspired again, and I have you to thank for it, so....Thank You! :)

Lynn (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 04:42

Okay, it's kind of pathetic, but I'm tearing up because we desperately need lockers at our house and I really like this simple design and have been thinking about modifying the single locker to be a bank like this, but I was not confident in my ability to do that. Have you been reading my mind, Ana?:)

I would like to do banks of 4 (We have 8 people in our family). Anything special I would have to change to add another locker in? Does it need more support in any way?

I had to laugh because I just got my first issue of Fresh Home yesterday and was trying to decide if I would keep the subscription, but now I definitely will. Congratulations on being featured. You do an amazing job of encouraging us!

Crystal (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 06:29

Hi Ana,
Congrats! That is so exciting to be featured.
I wanted to thank you so much for putting up your plans for the lockers. My Dad is using your plans and has altered them a bit to make us 4 lockers using your plans to accommodate our growing family's storage needs for our front entry. (Baby #4 is due to arrive this December!)
We LOVE your site and truly appreciate your talent and generosity!

Crystal

melissa2 (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 06:37

Ana, congratulations! It has been so exciting to see you be "discovered" again and again! You deserve all the attention! :)

Ana White (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 06:50

Thanks Crystal! The Braden system has a bench included - so I would go that route for more storage. This one is sort of a free standing closet :) Perfect for adding color to an apartment or even creating a mudroom where there is none. Good luck!

Ana White (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 07:01

Thank you Shawnda! I really like Fresh Home (even before they featured me) because there is so much DIY in their articles. And that really sounds like a project you just accomplished! Can't wait to see what you build!

Jen @ New Shad… (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 07:31

Wow Anna, that is great! However I'm not surprised that they want to interview YOU and put you in the spotlight. You are truly an inspiration. I signed up for my free issue, I really hope I receive the recent issue with the article on you and your blog.

Megan L (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 09:30

This is EXACTLY what I've been needing in my entryway. Thank you!!! Now I just need to get cracking on my king storage bed so I can move on down the list of my "Ana White" home transformation projects :).

Loni (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 16:31

Congratulations on your feature! That is so exciting! I just signed up for the free issue, I hope its the one with your feature!

Thank you for everything!
Loni

Brooke (not verified)

Wed, 09/29/2010 - 17:16

Congratulations on being featured. I just went to get the magazine and check it out. You look beautiful, of course. Love the lockers. Wish I had somewhere to put them :)

chrisandpatience (not verified)

Thu, 09/30/2010 - 00:35

I have just ordered my free copy. I dont know if i can wait the 4 to 6 weeks to recieve it so i may head to the newstand and look for it now. Congrats Ana you deserve this.

Peace,
Patience

Isabel (not verified)

Sat, 10/02/2010 - 07:46

Ana, I was one of your first 500 fans and I remember watching how you went from hundreds of fans to thousands in very few weeks! You are a great person for sharing your talents with other! We, your followers and friends are proud to see that this magazine recognizes how special you are!

Deux Maison (not verified)

Tue, 10/05/2010 - 07:19

As soon as I read this, I had to run out and buy the mag! Fantastic! BTW - How adorable are you?! I was sad when the article ended, I had to pop over here to share! I am so inspired by you & what you do. You deserve this and more! We want a book and a TV show!

Tim Daniels (not verified)

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 11:11

Anna I was wondering if in this model you had used the sketchup models for the Kreg pocket holes from the Google 3Dwarehouse? If so, these were created by me and I'm glad you are using them! If not, take a look at my collection of holes, screws, and even videos. If there is something I can do to lend a hand, I will when time permits.

Tim Daniels

Wendy (not verified)

Thu, 10/07/2010 - 11:19

Ana, I love your website and just finished my first project. (pictures to come!) I wanted to say, Congrats on the magazine!!
...and by the way....hot shoes!

Elisa (not verified)

Sun, 10/10/2010 - 11:31

Read your article while browsing Lowe's. YAY! So exciting. I still haven't built my first project, but I have been reading and doing my research and thinking about which project would be best. I'm going to start w/ one of the "starter" projects. We are military, so we move a lot, so I am putting a lot of these on my "wish list" to build in a couple of years when we are more permanently settled.