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One of my favorite projects from Madeline’s room makeover was the fun little book sling, which is an awesome alternative to bookshelves.
My inspiration (and the directions!) can be found here.

I really love this idea because it will be so easy for Madeline to “re-shelf” her books. She still has a little bit of trouble trying to get the books to stand up straight on the bookshelf so this will hopefully solve a lot of her frustration.

Plus it’s just really cool! ;)

Supply List

1 1/3 yard of fabric
2 Double Curtain Rod Brackets (found these at Lowes)
2 Dowel Rods to fit the brackets, each 4 foot long (also found at Lowes)
Drill, Sewing Machine, Level, etc

I actually ended up making closer to a three foot long sling, which of course meant my measurements were different, because the wall I wanted to put it on was not quite four feet in length.
To try to avoid confusion I’ll just stick with the measurements found on the original tutorial (again, found here).

  • First, cut your fabric to 47″ x 42″.
  • Fold lengthwise with right sides together.  You should now have a 47″ x 21″ piece of fabric.  (I also added a piece of heavyweight interfacing between the layers of fabric for added stability, but this is optional).
  • Sew, using a 1/2″ seam allowance down one short side, the long side, and halfway down the other short side.
  • Turn right side out through the opening.
  • Turn the raw edges toward each other and top stitch over the opening, closing up the unfinished edge.  Press with an iron so it lays nice and flat.
  • To make the dowel casings, fold over two inches on each long side, pin, and then stitch all the way down each side.

Hang the double brackets on the wall.

  • Make sure to locate studs to screw into or use wall anchors, so the sling will be able to support the weight of books.

  • Insert the dowels into the fabric (I painted my rods white first), then slide them into the brackets and tighten down.  I also glued little knobs onto the end of the dowel rods to make it look a little more finished.

Ta-da!
I hope she loves it.
Yes, she still hasn’t seen her new room. This past week has been insane, but I really hope to finish it up in the next day or so.
But don’t worry.
She and Susannah have been having a blast sharing a room.
Like…singing till all hours of the night.
Seriously.

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