Reading Nook Ideas and Children's Book Display Ideas to Make Your Home a Wonderful Place for Reading!
Below I've listed for you several fun ways to make a great space for your child at home to be excited about reading and having a spot for reading. You'll find some reading nook ideas, plus children's book display ideas to get your creative juices flowing!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can learn more about that here.
Best Reading Corner Ideas & Creative Children's Bookshelves~
DIY book display stand
I think of a "display stand" as being different from a bookshelf in that the book faces outward. This is great for a child's bedroom or any child's book area because it entices your child to read books he loves over and over again by seeing the covers.
It also makes the books your child loves easy to find,
and it looks great! It's truly a beautiful way to "display" your child's most beloved books.
Here are some from Amazon. The first three stand on the floor, and then the ones below could be mounted on the wall, on the back of a door, or prop up on a dresser or desk, or in any place you can find!
For my kid's rooms when they were younger, I created a DIY book display by hanging a double curtain rod against the wall and then sewing onto each rod one end of a swath of fabric to created a "pocket" large enough to hold a row of books.
It turned out really cute! I placed them next to my children's beds so that they would have easy access to books as they lay in bed.
I sadly don't have a picture of them anymore (that I can find), but check out this website that show you what I'm talking about, plus step-by-step instructions for how to make your own fabric book display! Here is also a pic of a sample double curtain rod that you could use.
You may also be interested in these articles:
~~ What books should my child read and have at home?
~~ Read aloud stories and how to help your child fall in love with reading
Creative children's bookshelves,
Bookshelves or bookcases that line up inside the shelves with the spine facing outward hold the benefit of storing many more books than outward facing book display cabinets.
If you don't have the carpentry skills to make your own bookshelves, these beautiful shelves (below) are a great (and also great price!) way to hold books.
It's also fine just to choose a more simple bookshelf in a solid color to let the beauty of the books speak for themselves!
You could even purchase a simple white bookshelf and then decorate or paint it yourself, (or let your child be the decorator!)
Book display ideas home,
Even though in a younger child's room a bookshelf or display stand will work, if you want to get even a little more creative, use your imagination to come up with some artistic ways to show off your child's books.
You can get creative with crates to put them in any order that you like - Even buy crates and paint them or decorate them how you like!
Floating book display stands are also a great idea for getting creative. You can buy so many types/colors of these and place them virtually anywhere. I had to had these superhero floating shelves too because they are so, so cute!
Have you ever seen these tree-shaped bookshelves? They are just beautiful. The ones pictured below are from Amazon, so you can just order and have them delivered. Win!
The first one pictured is a little more in price, but it would be well worth it. If you need a more economical option, the 3rd one pictured looks to be a nice a sturdy bookshelf too.
DIY bookcase for toddlers
What comes to mind when creating an awesome bookcase or bookshelf for your toddler? For me, I'll need a bookshelf that is sturdy & safe, accessible (lower to the floor so your child can grab books), and not too big so that your toddler doesn't feel overwhelmed.
This first one would be fun and easy to climb all over with no toppling:
And the second one is so cute, and just the right size! I don't think you could go wrong with either of these.
Reading nook ideas
A reading nook is different from a display shelf or bookcase in that it's all about the way you set apart the reading area to make way for a quiet, peaceful and charming place to get away and read.
Reading nook chair
Choose a chair that is super comfortable and is the right size for your child. Kids grow fast, so choose something that they can grow into if you are spending a lot!
There are lots of choices for hammock-type chairs, like the one displayed below. All kids will love these, but if you have a child with sensory or anxiety issues, this is a good choice. The feeling of floating or being suspended is good occupational therapy and is a great way to encourage reading!
Reading corner decorating ideas
Wow - the sky is the limit for reading corner decorating ideas! You can choose different lighting options, like the ones below. Also consider what wall art you want to decorate with or how you want to deck out the walls.
Make it a project to get your child involved and let her in on some of the decorating decisions, too!
Reading nook canopy
A reading nook canopy is a great choice for making that area a dreamy, quiet and private space for reading.
Also, you can put these anywhere! Above the bed, in the corner, or even in a corner of the closet to make a separate place to enter to read.
Reading nook bench
A bench for reading is great in that it could double as a storage area for toys and books.
Here are a few bench ideas I found. I think I would choose a bench only if I'm not going for the "reading corner", but instead an area in the room that is against a wide wall for reading and book display.
Reading nook under stairs
Get that vision of Harry Potter under the stairs with dust falling in his eyes out of your mind! Because that space under your staircase could be the most fabulous little reading nook you ever saw.
You'll need:
Very narrow book storage area (possibly built-ins, or those walls racks mentioned above would be nice,
A soft place to curl up (if a mattress fits the whole space, that would be perfect! Just give it a great cover to bring some color),
And great lighting.
Seriously, go to google (after reading this article of course), and check out the amazing pics of people's creative reading nooks under the stairs!
Reading nook cushion
There are just a TON of cute cushions that will fit your child's personality and their room. Another great thing about having a large cushion on the floor to read in, is that your child's cushion can travel to anywhere in the house they want to read!
More things to consider for reading room ideas
Oooooh! I'm such a book nerd, I know it! But, can you imagine what a great career it would be to get to go into people's homes and create a library space for them? Dream job! If you are reading this article and you do that for a living, please do share 🙂 I couldn't help but grab a few links that might help you envision a wonderful library for your home, big or small.
To create a beautiful space conducive for reading, you need to think about incorporating these 4 things:
A quiet space
Choose a spot in your home that can be your children's "quiet spot". Remove outside stimulus, noise, and distraction. Somewhere he can curl up, maybe with a pillow or a bean bag or some kind of cool hammock-chair if you want to go all out.
If you can, make your library location away from house traffic and an "away place" where your child can go to be with her own thoughts. Put a small CD player in a corner for soothing music or audio books. Maybe a little wallflower from Bath & Body or something to make your library smell wonderful, and a soft rug underfoot to pull it all together.
Beauty
You want your space to be a place of loveliness, that facilitates the way your child can see the beauty of the world through the books he reads. Whatever colors you choose (whether for a beanbag or chair, paint or curtains), choose complementary colors that go well together and bring together one space into it's own separate area.
When life gets hard, as it always does, this beautiful little space in your home can be a haven for your child. A home away from home.
Let your child step into a room that allows your books to come to life through travel and adventure, beautiful animals, people, clothes, countries, mountains, and oceans through time and space. Let it be a place where your child's imagination is allowed to wander.
Room for the Books
Of course you'll need to find a way to stack, file or display those amazing books. Use the ideas above for inspiration in storage. It will probably depend on your budget, but you can get so creative using not a lot of money. You can always repurpose an old bookshelf, armoire, or cabinet to hold books.
Always organize with the spine out (or the cover, if you are using magazine racks). The goal here is ease of use and beauty in display to entice readers. Books are like old friends, and the best ones are to be visited time and time again.
When you organize, think of the height of your child and put the best books for them within reach. (Or add a cute stepladder for reaching). However you display your books, be sure to have a place for every book and every book in its place.
Personalization and Creativity -
To make the space personal for your children, let them help you when you design. He or she can maybe paint a wall, or help you decide colors. Give them a spot on the shelves to be in charge of.
Hang their artwork in the library, work they have accomplished, or their fancy name up on the wall. Maybe ask them what they would like to see in the library for decoration. They probably will have some great ideas!
Here are a few places I found that have some more great ideas for your home library:
https://www.homedit.com/creating-a-home-library/
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/i-must-have-one-a-reading-net-for-your-a.php (A reading net? How COOL!)
http://www.thebooandtheboy.com/2014/12/reading-nooks-for-kids.html (More pretty reading nooks)
Do you have some more ideas on creating a great home library? Comment below and let us know so we can all benefit. And hey - listen! If you have a home library, take a pic of it, send it to me at amy@mythreereaders.com, and I’ll POST IT ON THIS PAGE. You can show your child how famous your home library is! Or even better, show us a before and after 🙂
P.S. This article is the second part of a series I wrote on creating your home library. Part one was all about the books. Hope you head on over and check that out too!