5 Steps to Creating Your Own Reading Nook
A glimpse of AJ’s reading nook in 2021
Written By: Shaelan Williams, J.D.
The joy of reading is encouraged in our children’s classroom and should be mirrored in some way at home to reinforce the importance of literacy. For us, creating a small, dedicated reading nook within our home for Andrew to read and dream was important. We decided to experiment with building out a bright and relaxed reading nook for him to nestle in and enjoy some of his favorite books. Before making this reading nook, I had done research on Pinterest to see what others had done to create theirs. I saw a range between extravagant and budget-friendly approaches. I opted for a more budget-friendly option that turned out GREAT! Most importantly, I was able to transform the nook into a space that Andrew loves and is growing with him as he grows.
Please note that this post is for parents and guardians; kids make sure you don’t try this at home on your own! As you read this post below, I hope that you find it helpful. If you decide to build a nook for your kiddo after reading this post, we’d love to see it so feel free to tag us or message us about your experience!
Tag us on Instagram @ajsworldmap #ajsworldmap #storystepsblog
Here are 5 Easy Steps to Creating Your Own Reading Nook at home.
Step 1: Pick a Space in Your Home
For us, space was limited. Because space was limited, we opted to move Andrew’s toy box to a different side of his bedroom and took about 4 ft of wall to allocate for a floating bookshelf. We made sure to clear the walkway around that 4 ft wall so that there wouldn’t be any tripping hazards and got to work! If you choose a bookcase, make sure you take the steps to bolt it to the wall for safety purposes.
Step 2: Source a solid floating or standard bookshelf to store your books
I opted for some acrylic floating bookshelves from Amazon that could be tightly secured to the wall. This allowed me save space by hanging the shelves and clearing the space below for the seating. Here’s a link to some shelves for $16 (Amazon Acrylic Shelves)
Step 3: Get Comfy Seating
Add an element of comfort in your nook by adding padded seating, pillows, and bean bag chairs. We chose to add two lime green bean bag chairs so that Andrew could sit comfortably and so could a friend during a future playdate. I will say that this was one of our more expensive investments with this project, but you can opt for less expensive seating options if needed. Here’s a link to the bean bag chairs we purchased for about $40 each (Bean Bag Chairs on Amazon)
Step 4: Add Decorative Elements
Our son’s room was decorated in forrest greens with dinos. I decided to carry that over to the decor. With the space being so limited, I opted to use some dino wall decals to brighten up the wall. There are plenty of options on Etsy and Amazon. Here’s an example for $9 (Dino Wall Decals on Amazon)
Step 5: Add Books to Adorn the Shelves
The best investment in this project was the purchase of all the books. It was also the most fun! We took Andrew to Wal-Mart and TJ-Maxx so that he could pick out his own colorful books to adorn the shelves. If you budget around $30, you can really get a range of books and genres. I didn’t have a 5 and Below near me back then, but I’d check them out as well.
While you’re shopping for books, consider purchasing Andrew’s first adventure book, “Can You Guess Where I Am?” Purchase our eBook on Amazon
(at this link) or purchase a paperback copy of the book on our website (at this link) We always appreciate the support!
Website: ajsworldmap.com
Instagram: @AJsWorldMap
