Hi friends! If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you’ll be familiar with a new series I recently started called “Buy It or Build It?” Every week, I post different furniture pieces and ask my Instagram and Facebook friends: Would you Buy It or Build It? If the majority vote is to Build It! and at least one person takes on the challenge, then I draw up the building plans. Sounds like a fun challenge, right?
So here was our first contender: the Toscana Bookshelf. It’s beautiful, right? But is it worth almost 800 bucks?!
I’m excited to share the very first Buy It or Build It project! This gorgeous bookshelf was built by my Instagram friend, Laura @semi_domestic. Didn’t she do an amazing job? I’m drooling over it. And Laura says it only cost $80 to build – can you believe that? At the store-bought price of $755, you could build several of these bookshelves!
Laura recommends attaching the shelves before moving the bookshelf, otherwise, you’ll run the risk of the X-pieces breaking because they’re not strong enough to support the entire weight of the bookshelf. The shelves will add a lot more stability and strength to the entire piece.
So are you ready to build your own Toscana Bookshelf?
Many thanks to Laura @semi_domestic for taking on the very first Buy It or Build It challenge – you rocked this build! I think I just might have to build one for myself!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with upcoming Buy It or Build It challenges. Have a great week friends – now go make some sawdust!
I’m trying to get these pdf plans but nothing has come through despite multiple attempts to sign up. Are they down by chance? Thank you!
Hi Travis,
Thanks for subscribing! I’m showing that the Toscana Bookshelf plans were emailed on October 4th at 3:43pm. Perhaps they ended up in your spam folder?
Jen,
I’m also having trouble getting the plans, after trying to sign up. I’ve checked my spam inbox, anything else I should do?
Hi Mark,
Hmm… strange. I’m showing that the plans were sent on Nov 7th at 8:29am. I also see that a couple more recent emails have been sent to you, but none have been viewed. Might you have an ‘other’ or ‘promotional’ folder they could have ended up in?
Hi, I just found your blog. Kinda new to the blog world. I’m also a military wife. My husband is the one into the woodworking, and I do the finishing touches ?. This shelving unit is beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Jen, I am super excited to make this, but confused. The way I’m interpreting the instruction for the shelfs are you lay 3 boards 4″ wide, and on each side you lay a board 2″ wide. This would make 16″. The shelf supports that make the steps of a ladder are 14″, so what am I missing? Thanks, Ami
Great question, Ami!
Typically, when you purchase lumber from big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes, the nominal width is not the actual width. A 2×4 actually measures 1.5” x 3.5” and a 2×2 actually measures 1.5” x 1.5”. The plans account for these actual widths, so the shelves will measure 13 1/2” and not 16”.
Hope that helps!
Hi
Would like to receive the plan but like many have not received anything despite signing up a few times.
Hi there, please check your spam folder. Thanks!
The link is not working to get the plans, is there another way to get these?
Yep! Just emailed them to you!
Hi Jen,
It is not letting me download the file for the plans for this shelf. Any tips on how I can get them? My email is [email protected] if you can email them that would be great!
Hi Jen, the pdf link for the plans isn’t working. Was hoping you could share that again! Thanks, looking forward to build this!
Anyway these plans can be reuploaded?
I am not able to download the plan. Could you send me one? Thanks!
[email protected]
I also can’t download the plans. Could you email them to me please? [email protected]
I would love these plans! But I can’t get the download plans button to work :/
Is there another way to receive the plans?
Thank you!
I really want to make this table but the link for the plans sends me the Kamado grill table plans instead. Is there another place to find the plans?
It looks beautiful!
Hi Jen,
Could you please get the link working again to download the plans for this beautiful bookshelf? I would really appreciate it and can’t wait to build it!
Would love these plans!
Can you email me these plans please?
Roughly how long does it take to get the plans emailed after signing up? I have yet to see anything and don’t have anything in my junk mail. Thanks!
Hi Anne Marie, plans are automatically sent once you submit your email requesting them. I just re-sent them, so please let me know if you still haven’t gotten them. Thanks!
hi Jen,
I’m sorry but I’m focused on building this for my fair projects but the plans never sent over is there anyway we could accomplish getting them to me ?
hi there Jen,
I would absolutely love to get those plan for some reason they wont send but I would love to build this for my highschool fair project the wood work is very intriguing.