How to Make Felt Shelf Covers

This clever DIY will disguise those always-overflowing boxes of toys and draw the eye to the more curated parts of your shelving unit.

bookshelf with modular storage
Photo: NGOC MINH NGO

This trick works to hide messes in the confines of modular storage. Best of all, covers can be measured and made to any size required. All you need is wool felt fabric, velcro, and some hardware store supplies.

What You'll Need

Materials

  • Modular storage unit (Pictured: IKEA "Billy" Bookcases)
  • Measuring tape
  • Wool felt (Pictured: Filz Felt wool design felt, 3mm, in 534 Rose, 150 Weiss, and 105 Rost (left)
  • Fabric scissors
  • 1-inch square balsa-wood strip
  • Velcro tape (Pictured: Velcro Brand industrial-strength low-profile tape, 10' by 1", in White)
  • Handsaw
  • 1 1/4-inch nails
  • Hammer
  • Optional: Lightweight wood-trim strip (Pictured: Midwest Products genuine balsa wood, 1" by 1" by 36")
  • Optional: White paint (Pictured: Alexandria Moulding solid-pine astragal molding (WM 134), 11/16" by 1 3/8" by 96")
  • Optional: Wood glue
  • Also shown: Whitewashed wooden storage bins

Instructions

  1. Measure width and height of shelf opening. Measure and cut felt to those dimensions. Measure and cut balsa wood and Velcro to width of shelf opening.

  2. felt shelf covers

    Line up wood beneath top of shelf opening; gently nail in from below (A). Stick one piece of Velcro to top edge of felt. Stick other to balsa wood. Velcro felt into place.

  3. Optional: To conceal the seam between bookcases, paint wood-trim strip white, then use glue to adhere (B).

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