Three are on the left side of my room and three are on the right side. I'm not completely finished with them, but they already look much better than they used to!

Because you are working upside down, it's important to make sure your bookcase is square before you tap in the finishing nails. I checked it before and after the pallets were put on with a square.....one on the inside and one on the outside.

These were very easy to put together by myself with just a circular saw and metal fasteners. I used thin finishing nails to attach the wood to the bookcase. I put washi tape on the outside of the bookcase wherever there was a dedicated shelf so I would know where to drive the nails. When I get tired of the blue/green color I can simply lay the bookcase down, pull out the nails and paint the wood a different color.

On one of the bookcases I stained some cork and attached it to foamcore board with gel medium. The foamcore is sturdy and I can use push pins just like a regular corkboard. I saw cork backed bookcases in a Ballard Design catalog years ago and liked the way it looked.

bookcase makeover

I've kept busy this winter tearing apart my cheap bookcases and replacing the back with stained pallet wood. I decided to do mine different than the one's I have seen on Pinterest. I stained them a teal-ish color and staggered the wood vertically. I used metal fasteners to join each piece of wood. It cost a little bit more, but so worth it I think!

cigar box house

Here's another cigar box house that I made a few years ago. 

cigar box house

Pink house constructed from a cigar box and foamcore board.  I made the little wire bird cage......my first one!  My grandma used to call my Great Aunt Bonnie, and her husband Arthur, the love birds.  So this one has images of them.  Wasn't Bonnie a pretty woman!

cigar box houses

Several years ago I made some houses out of cigar boxes and foamcore board.  They're filled with photos and various items from my yard and the local flea market.  I'm working on some for my husband's siblings and should have them finished soon.