How to add shelves to built in bookcases

 How to install thick wood shelves on DIY bookcases. 

I'm nearing the finish line on the built in office bookcases!! I'm SO excited to share this project with you -- I plan to reveal the whole thing next week. You can catch up on all of the steps of this process in this post! 

(Edited:  Check out a link to the full reveal at the end of this post!)

For now, I'm sharing a quick tutorial on how to build the shelves. This is actually a simple process (if you've done any DIY work). I always build it up in my head bigger than it is -- I knocked out all of the shelves in about four hours, so it went quicker than I planned. 

This tutorial is one that works when you have supports on both sides, like a bookcase situation. If you are looking to build floating shelves, I'll add a link to the bottom of this post for that project. 

I hired this part out last time I built bookcases, because the measurements have to add up just right for shelves like this. They ended up ripping (cutting) down wood strips at the right size for the shelves, but I was determined to do this whole thing by myself this time. 

You have to account for the top and the bottom of the shelf and the support in between -- those added up can't be thicker than the trim piece that goes across the front of the shelf. This will make more sense in a minute. 

I started with a piece of trim -- it's about 3/4 of an inch by about half an inch: 

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 I cut pieces for the back and the sides, then nailed them in to start:

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