For about $25 you can get a cheap 5 shelf bookcase at Walmart. The problem is, they’re not always very sturdy so if you move them too much they will fall apart….. Well I found a solution that makes them not only more stable, but stylish too! Here’s what I did-

After purchasing the cheap shelf unit (it comes in black, white, or wood colors). I took the back panel out of the box.  This is the cheap folded up stuff that’s somewhere between card stock paper and cardboard that you nail to the back of the unit.  This is what gives the shelf unit it’s stability. This is the reason these are so flimsy most of the time.

Once I had it out (it’s usually 2 pieces) I measured them. Once I knew the size of the back of the shelf unit I went to Home Depot where I had them cut me a sheet of paneling to fit.

I painted the paneling (I painted this one teal to match my living room colors) and then assembled the shelf unit as per the instructions using the paneling on the back instead of the cardboard stuff that it came with.

The result is a cute shelf that has a little texture and style to it and is a LOT more durable than it otherwise would have been.

The sheet of paneling cost me about $20 at Home Depot- but I have leftovers that I’ll use for other projects.  Even so, it may have almost doubled the cost of the shelves, but it’s SO worth it for the end result of both style and durability.