DIY: Scater Book Cubby

I'm always looking for little projects to make my space more fun and personal on a very tight budget. I'd describe my style as bold, eclectic, and silly (even before the kid). I definitely get some sideways looks at some of these efforts but I love mixing it up and giving my place an individual stamp. 

This DIY solved two problems we were up against in Little Smith's itty bitty I used to be a closet  cozy nursery. I needed a place to put a glass of water or a pacifier when I was nursing him and we also needed a spot for his growing collection of books. Big Smith is into skateboarding (at least he was before work and life took up so much time) and we have a bunch of old damaged boards that were begging to be repurposed.

I had the idea for a fun rolling book cubby that utilized skateboard wheels. Any crate would work but I used a wood crate that's typically for storing records from an unpainted furniture shop.

Since our skateboard had seen many miles the wheels needed a good scrubbing to erase years of dirt and grime.

I painted the wood cube with a few coats of white paint to match LS's nursery. Next I marked the mounting location for the wheels and drilled four holes. I countersunk the screws (just drilling a larger opening in the top so the head of each screw was flush with the bottom of the cubby and wouldn't snag books) and attached the wheels and trucks the same way they had been mounted on the skateboard.

This is a cheap way to make a playful book cubby... and it doubles as a push-cart...

... what more could you ask for? LS loves it and it fits perfectly in his small space. There's also something really sweet about the fact that those wheels carried Big Smith so many places in his single and our early dating days and now they have found a new life with our baby just as we have.

It's the perfect scale for Little Smith to select his own books and a happy addition to his colorful little home...

... plus it means he rocks 'cause he's a skater dude!