"i had been wanting [a bookcase] for awhile, as it's much prettier than the stack of milk crates we've had in the office for the past year holding my crap. at any rate, the bookcase was in good condition, but it didn't have a back. so i took the opportunity to get crafty and i glued some paper from paper-source (of course) to some posterboard i had.
ikea markor with papered back and close up of paper pattern
i did learn a little crafty lesson on this one: pva glue is a bit heavy for gluing paper to posterboard. alas, i should have used the ever-brilliant this to that for gluing advice. for 'an absolutely wrinkle free result', i should have used 'yamato sticking paste'. i also could have used 3M 77 spray adhesive, but i have had spray adhesive disasters in the past (don't ask), so i probably would not have done that. i had pva, so i used it. the whole thing got really wrinkly.fortunately for me, it was one of those all-too-rare crafty projects where, even though it's just about the sloppiest thing i could have possibly done, it didn't make a damned bit of difference... because you can't. even. tell. i LOVE that!
also, i think i would recommend using a slightly stronger back - perhaps a thicker cardboard. i had posterboard on hand, so that's what i used. oh, and i used a staple gun to attach the back, but those little ikea nails would do too." link.
Funky material also works great for this if you staple.
ReplyDelete- John
Oh such a pretty back! I've seen shelves with vintage wallpaper backings and fabric sell for hundreds, even thousands in boutiques!
ReplyDeletean absolutely creative and great idea - going to do it myself; bought a bookcase to use as an entertainment system and, as it turns out, all the cables show - but know how to hide them now :)
ReplyDeleteI know, this is an older post... but you can't actually leave most shelving units backless, as the backboard provides structural integrity, without which they won't stay square. Putting in paper, posterboard, or light cardboard pretty much still qualifies as leaving them "backless." The exception is when the unit is designed to be open.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had to replace the backboard on something (a flatpacked unit not from Ikea whose backboard had been destroyed in shipping), I went to Home Depot and had them cut down a piece of Masonite to size. It was better than the backing I was replacing.