So you may have a collection of books, magazines, photos, and all kinds of stuff piled up and laying around or in cardboard boxes in your house.  I know I did.  So, being on a low budget and in a creative sense of mind... these are some of the things I did in my apartment to make one of a kind unique showcases for my clutter!~

DIY BOOKCASE:

Easy & Cheap!!

1.  Get 6 plastic milkcrates (you can work with less or more depending how many books you have).  You can get these for nothing, but you may have to call around or drive around to local grocery stores.  (Note: The chain stores probably won't give them to you because they usually have some sort of deal with the milk company, but the local mom and pop convenience stores or grocery stores will just give them to you).  Sometimes even thrift stores may have them.

** Buy 2 cans of flat spray paint.  Take those crates outside in the yard and spray paint them.  Any color you like.  It will only take 1 can to do it, but after letting them dry for the appropriate amount of time, a second coat is a good idea.  (I used black).  Optional:  I bought a can of glitter spray paint and after the second coat of black dried, I sprayed them with the glitter paint just for some pizzaz!

Stack them any way you like.  I did 3 on the bottom and 2 on top of that, and 1 on top of those.(pyramid style).  You can play around with them and stack them any way you want.  Creativity is what will make this your own unique design.  And that's it, just stack the books in.  You can do them by color, by size, or just random.  Whatever looks best to you!  Add in some framed pictures or momentos if you like.

ANOTHER DIY BOOKCASE:

Also easy & Cheap!

2.  This is an even cheaper route to go, but not for heavy items.  Get 3 cardboard boxes.  Good heavyweight ones.  The best ones I have found are the ones from one of the office supplies stores or you can get them from a local business (the ones that the reams of typing paper come in.  They are a great size and sturdy.  They also come with tops!  Save the tops for another project I will share next.

So, take the three boxes, remove any tape or staples on them.  Now for this, you have several options and all of them look great, it just depends on your style and budget.  You can spray paint them, paint them by hand, or cover them with fabric (must do inside and outside for each of these).  You can glue the fabric on, but I actually found that stapling it on works best.  You can even buy some goldtone staples from an office store just to make it look snazzy.  So basically cover the box inside and out with paint or fabric. 

Next, you stack the three boxes one on top the other, use 4 at max!  And there you have a cool unique shelf space.  Good for books, but not heavyweight ones.  Any heavyweight books should go on the bottom.  Do them from heaviest at the bottom to lighter novels and such at the top.  Optional: I found a cool old vintage scarf at a thrift store and kind of laid it across the top and let it drape down the sides, then put a matching candle on top just to decorate a bit.  Have fun with it.

NOW FOR THOSE TOPS!

Those box tops you put on the side can be made into so many things.  Here are just three examples:

1.  Shadowbox Frame!  Paint one or cover with fabric.  Now think of a theme for your box to go with your decor or personality and fill the box appropriately so that this can be nailed to the wall securely without the items falling out.  You want to attach whatever items you choose with staples or good glue so that they hold good.  5-10 items works great depending on their size.  Collage them!!  ( If you don't want to nail them to the wall, you can buy a cheap wall bracket at your local home building store to glue to the back of it )

What to put in the box??

Depends on your room theme and personality.

Make one as a gift for your boyfriend's bachelor pad!  Maybe he's a Chicago Cubs fan!!  Spray paint the box with the team colors.  Items for the box could be: 2 or 3 baseball cards, old ticket stubs from games, a mini helmet or jersey, a Cubs keychain, a photo of his favorite player, a "faux" autograph, a patch with the team logo, a pin, a picture of a baseball or glove...make it more personalized and add a picture of you and him from a ball game!

Maybe you have a pretty pink bathroom and you are ultra girly and Diva-Like:  Cover the box in leopard print fabric (RAWR), and then fill it with a pretty pink ribbon, an old tube of lipstick, a pocket mirror, some glitter or sequins, a hairbrush, a picture of a vintage pin up girl, a "faux" diamond ring, a picture of a cell phone, some sparkling letters that spell out DIVA.  Endless possibilities

Or maybe you're in need of a mother's day idea?  Cover the box or paint in a color that mom loves or that will go with her room's decor.  Fill it with a picture of each of her children / grandchildren, a picture of her as a young hot babe, momentos like movie stubs, a picture of her mother, anything she likes.  You can put little cut out hearts, have her grandchildren make a tiny picture to display in it, have them sign their names in it or make handprints with their name and age inside.  Mom will adore it.

2.  Breakfast Tray!  Another great idea if you are prone to eating on the sofa or in your bed is to make a little tray out of it.  Don't spray it with paint because you will be eating off of it.  Best to cover it in a vinyl tablecloth fabric so that you can wipe it off if you get any spills.  You can buy a vinyl tablecloth at your local dollar store.  They usually come in solids and prints.  You can even buy a matching placemat and glue it down in there if you like.

Ideas Ideas!!  Ok, A couples tray.  Buy 2 plastic automobile cup holders from a local dollar store.  Put one at each upper corner and glue down with good glue.  Voila ~ a spill proof place to put you and your special guy's drink.  You can even decorate the cup holder's if you want to.  That's it.  Just add snacks or food and serve it up on the sofa while watching a movie or while laying in bed relaxing.

Study Tray!  This time buy one of those sturdy foam can drink holders / cozies from the dollar store.  Glue it in one upper corner.  Get a tube shaped plastic pencil holder and glue it to the other upper corner.  Now you have to add your homework and dry snacks (dont want ot spill on the homework) and you're ready to go.

How about a tray for your child to eat on while they watch tv or a movie?  So again, after covering the box, you can get one of the foam drink can holders and glue it down in one upper corner.  Now for more fun, instead of the placemat at the bottom.  Buy a childs divided plate and bowl set.  Glue those down into the tray.  Now kids are messy so dont serve dinner in this, but great for cookies, marshmallows, dry snacks, things that are not liquidy.  Put something different in each section and then fill the bowl with popcorn or cheerios or whatever your little one likes to eat.  This is also great for a family project if you have more children.  Let each child choose their own themed tray and let them help make it.

Hope you have fun with this!!  Stay Crafty, it keeps you young!!