Interior designer reveals how to make an intriguing book side table – here’s how you can do it too

An interior designer has shared a step-by-step guide outlining how she built a unique side table filled with books.

Co-founder of online platform ‘The Sorry Girls’ Becky Wright captured the attention of thousands online with her ‘book table’ that was inspired by images seen on Pinterest.

Unlike a standard side table that stores books on top, the clever design incorporates the books inside the table.

The DIY project took approximately 12 hours to make using MDF boards, nails, a drill, sand paper and machinery used to cut the separate pieces of wood to precisely match the size of each book.

Unlike a standard side table that stores books on top, the clever design incorporates the books inside the table

To start Becky, from Canada, gathered the books she wanted to use in the table and measured the size of each one on the MDF pieces.

The size of the slits will vary depending which books you use, and for best results it would be ideal to use long books that slightly differ in size.

‘After cutting out all the ‘book sections’ I was left with these L shaped pieces of MDF to line up with one another,’ Becky wrote on The Sorry Girls’ blog.

The DIY project took approximately 12 hours to make using MDF boards, nails, a drill, sand paper and machinery used to cut the separate pieces of wood to precisely match the size of each book

The multiple pieces of MDF were then aligned from bottom to top and clamped together to hold in place.

Next, using a long drill bit, she drilled a couple holes across all the pieces to attach them together.

‘Once the holes were drilled all the way through every piece, I used some threaded rods and connector half nuts to secure all the pieces together,’ she said.

‘Next, I gave it a light sand and it was done!’

The project cost $554AUD and the end result looked incredible.

‘After cutting out all the ‘book sections’ I was left with these L shaped pieces of MDF to line up with one another,’ Becky wrote on The Sorry Girls’ blog

‘Once the holes were drilled all the way through every piece, I used some threaded rods and connector half nuts to secure all the pieces together,’ she said

The project cost $500 Canadian dollars / $554 AUD and the end result looked incredible

After three days of sharing a video on TikTok admiring the DIY, the clip went viral and was watched a staggering 11million times. 

‘Trust the process,’ read the caption. 

Others quickly dubbed the design as ‘one of the best project’ The Sorry Girls have ever done.  

‘Oh no way this is SO COOL!’ one person wrote, another added: ‘THIS. I’m doing this, I love it!!!’ 

‘Omg I can’t imagine how much measuring you had to do. This is so amazing,’ a third wrote.

The entire step-by-step process can be watched on The Sorry Girls’ YouTube channel here.