When it comes to shelf styling, less is usually more. So, don’t let an empty shelf intimidate you.  Whether it’s a free-standing book shelf, a floating shelf, or even a uniquely shaped shelf, I have you covered with tips for effortlessly styling shelves in a kid’s room.

These black metal bookshelves are from IKEA and can be found right here.

How to Style a Kids Bookshelf

First, it goes without saying, that kids rooms don’t have to be styled. Period. If you don’t have the energy or interest in doing it, or you kids want to do their own thing without parent input, great!

That said, if you have an interest in keeping your kids shelving a little bit organized and a little bit cute, keep reading…

If you want to keep things super simple, display ledges like these, are really easy to style because there’s really only room for books and a few stuffies. Easy as can be, right?

So, you can do something fun like arrange them by color. Or keep it simple and arrange in varying heights, with the tallest books in the back and shortest books in the front.

If you opt for a book shelf that is a tiny bit deeper and/or has a higher lip, you can add more. But when it comes to kids shelves, less is more.

Start with a clean slate.

Take all the books off the shelf so the shelves are completely blank and separate out the books that you and/or your child read most often along with the books with the coolest covers. Start a new pie for heavy books that most likely can’t be supported by the book shelves and store those in another area if possible.

Then, start adding back.

Next, start adding your child’s favorite books to the shelf closest to the ground, so they can more easily reach those on their own. Then start working in any other books that have great covers or fun pops of color.

I like to layer book sizes and colors being sure to keep a balance amongst the shelves. For example, we have a lot of books with white covers. So I use those as a base and then sprinkle in the colorful books throughout the three shelves so there’s not too much color or too much white visually in one spot. This helps the eye continually move around and makes the shelves feel considered and well-styled (in a casual, effortless way).

Want something more colorful? 

You can always arrange books according to color, for a rainbow effect that kids are sure to love. Just separate books on the floor by color and add them pop them back onto your shelves in color order…or however you’d like.

My friend, Kelly from Studio DIY, has a great tutorial for creating rainbow shelves in a kids room.

Add some decorative items.

Now that the books are taken care of, I like to add a few toys or stuffed animals. This helps keep things from feeling too stuffy (it is a kid’s room after all), and breaks up all the straight lines.

If possible, I love using slightly larger toys with a thin profile, like this Moon Picnic face puzzle for example. I don’t have it in these pictures, but we do have one and it works great for slim profile shelves especially.

Then, I sprinkle in a few soft toys too, like these lightweight Maileg stuffed animals. They don’t weigh down the shelf and add a little bit of whimsy and softness to these simple shelves.

And that’s really all it takes to style kids bookshelves. Not too complicated, but if you have any questions about your specific shelves, let me know.

Updated August 2022

Guys: Big news! I just published my first children’s book entitled The Only Me, about a set of 7-year-old fraternal twins named Stella and Paige — and Stella’s quest to be seen as her own person. (You can see me talking about the book here.)

Stella and Paige are very different, yet are always being compared and contrasted by almost everyone around them. This impacts Stella greatly; she begins to feel frustrated and insecure – like she doesn’t measure up to her sister, Paige. Yes, they are twins, but they are not the same person. 

Stella wishes people would see her for who she is, and not just as “Stella and Paige,” or as “one of the twins.” The Only Me follows Stella along her journey as she begins to recognize her own amazing strengths, and despite what others may say, learns to embrace and value herself as the unique individual she is. 

As parents (of multiples, but perhaps of singletons, too!), I’m sure many of you can appreciate the message in this book – and I’m also sure you can relate to why I was inspired to write it: 

From the time my now 6-year-old fraternal twins were born, people often referred to them as “the twins” rather than by their individual names – as if they weren’t whole without the other. Soon, being “the twins,” as opposed to Mila and Grace, became their entire identity. This, compounded by people constantly comparing them to one another (both physically and mentally), led them to feel frustrated, unseen, confused about their own identity, and inferior to one another. 

The Only Me started out as a book just about twins – in fact, it was originally titled The Twins Who Were Different – but in an article I wrote last year for Lucie’s List about the importance of treating siblings like their own people, I realized the message of the book (embracing differences; honoring our strengths; loving and being proud of ourselves for who we are) applied to all children, not just multiples.

While researching that article, I learned that, even though they tend to look alike and share similar cognitive abilities, siblings actually aren’t much more similar than any two strangers in the world. Whhhaaa?! That blew my mind and gave me even more of an incentive to write the book. I also learned that when we treat our kids like individuals, we show them how much we honor and respect them for exactly who they are. In turn, this helps boost their self-confidence and sense of identity. 

I mean, wow, right?! What an incredible opportunity and responsibility we have as caregivers — to help grow and shape our children’s sense of value and self-esteem! 

The Only Me is a reminder to all of us that treating each of our children as the unique people they are, and praising their individual pursuits and personalities, goes a long way in helping them feel respected, loved and secure. And again, although this book is meant for everyone, I wrote it with twins in mind  – whether fraternal or identical – who, naturally, are often lumped together and viewed as one unit, as mine often are. 

I hope you’ll read the book with your children and let me know if and how it resonates. I’d also love for you to share with me some of the ways in which your multiples are similar and different. And, with your permission, I’d love to share your experiences in an upcoming article about the topic. Feel free to email me at [email protected]. 

Thanks so much, everyone! Cheers to you and your multiples. 

xo,
Marissa