My DIY Minimalist Bookshelf and What I Learned about Progress

DIY Minimalist Bookshelf with Midcentury Gold Legs Childrens Room

Guys, I built this bookshelf for the girls' room and I can't even tell you how much joy it brings me. It is possibly the plainest bookshelf ever (the only detail is that I sprayed the tips of the legs gold) but I LOVE it. So very much.

Why? I love when a vague idea takes form and becomes something tangible. This was a project I designed and made with my own hands. It tested my limited math skills and my patience. But also, I love it because I learned some lessons about persistence, progress, and the joy of keeping at something until it is finished . . . even if it takes six months. 

Six months to build this thing! Don't laugh! 

The fact that this wonder of plainness took me half a year makes me smile. There are people who could have completed this in an hour. Truly! I am slow, not because I am paying such careful attention to detail, but because I have young children and free time (and energy) for projects is a rare thing.

And that is my real point in this post. As a mom of young ones, it is easy to feel frustrated when my projects don't get completed as quickly as I hope. Maybe it is a big thing, like painting a room. Or maybe it is something as small as folding laundry with a little one alongside who insists on helping but whose help slows me down. Perhaps the frustration is extended to my husband at some task left incomplete. And maybe I even begin to resent the little people who might be keeping me from doing what I really want to do. (That's not a maybe. That happened this morning.)

It's all about the heart, isn't it? Why am I acting out in anger? Why is my patience short? What is it that I'm wanting that I'm not getting? 

As an ice breaker, our Bible study leader asked us what our ideal day would be. Most of the women in my group agreed that our ideal day would involve someone else watching our kids for us. :) I thought about all the projects I could complete around the house if that happened. So yes, it is clear that I am wanting time to do the things I want to do. And for me, I want to do projects!

So I must come back to the Lord. This is the day that He has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! Whatever that means—from an unexpectedly sick child to care for to unexpectedly happy children playing together nicely so I can put the last coat of paint on the bookshelf . . . well, He is sovereign over it all. And He is out for my good. I can rest in that. My project progress is in His hands. Even if it takes six months to build a bookshelf.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Who would have thought that a post about a bookshelf could lead to such deep thoughts? :) For those who are curious about the construction of the bookshelf, it was so simple! I measured my books to see how big I should make the shelves then sketched out the dimensions. I used plain pine boards from the hardware store. A guy there even cut them for me for free! I borrowed a friend's Kreg jig to make my joints. These are the legs I used. I painted the wood white and sprayed the metal tips gold.