Homeschool Room Shelves On A Budget

Let’s talk HOMESCHOOL SHELVES!👇🏻

Over a year ago I decided to redo our homeschool room (which is actually half of our living room) and I knew the main thing I needed was new shelving for the space. Previously we had cheap MDF shelving units with thin shelves that bowed under the weight of our curriculum and books. It was ugly, cluttered, overwhelming, and uninviting. We made-do with what we had for several years but it really wasn’t working for our needs.

Before:

After:

I got Ikea Ivar shelving since it was the most affordable option for the most amount of storage space and solid wood.

I’ve had so many people messaging me constantly asking for links and wanting to know which Ivar parts I used, so I decided I would do a dedicated post on this subject since my homeschool shelving has proven to be quite popular! 💁🏼‍♀️

I love seeing all of you that have been inspired by my homeschool shelves and ran to Ikea to grab some Ivar shelves for yourself! It’s so encouraging to see that my homeschool space is inspiring so many of you and helping you on your homeschooling journey! 🤗

Ikea Ivar Shelving

We priced out different options and the Ivar shelving from Ikea is very reasonably priced for solid wood shelving that is sturdy and holds a lot of weight without risk of the shelves bowing. Those MDF shelves just don’t cut it once you load them up with homeschool curriculum and tons of books.

DISCLAIMER: Please don’t come at me for saying this is too expensive to be an “on a budget” option! If building your own shelves from scratch isn’t something you can undertake and you want solid wood shelves that will stand the test of time instead of “disposable” shelving made of MDF and chemicals that you find in Target and Walmart, then the Ikea Ivar shelving system is the best option at the cheapest price! It is not the cheapest shelving option in the world, but it is the cheapest option for solid wood!

MY SHELVING UNIT:

1 – IVAR 2 section shelving unit, pine, 68 1/2×19 5/8×89″
1 – IVAR Side unit, 20×89″
6-9 – IVAR Shelf, pine, 33×20″
1 – OBSERVATÖR Cross-brace, galvanized, 39″

(👆 this is what’s needed to make a 3-section shelf like mine)

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES:

4 – OBSERVATÖR Clip-on basket, gray-brown
1-3 – IVAR Hook for side unit, gray
1-4 – KNAGGLIG Box, pine, 18×12 ¼x9 ¾”

I got 9 of these cotton rope baskets from Target for organizing seasonal items on the top shelf and I recently discovered 3 fit perfectly side by side on each Ivar shelf section. (two side by side pictured above.) I got mine in white, but they are also available in black and gray and they are frequently included in their sales for 20% off!

The rest of the baskets I use for storage and organization are mostly Maple & Lark. (Use code FASHION10 for 10% off your order!)

I’ll post more about Homeschool Room Organization in another post soon and link it here!

Different Options

So we decided to get the 19″ deep shelves but the Ivar system also comes in a narrower 11″ deep which is more ideal if you’re mainly storing books and curriculum.

There are cabinets you can get for the Ivar and put at whatever height works best for your home. Right now the 19″ deep cabinets are not available (as of checking the website 4/23) but the 11″ Ivar Cabinet is available.

You can also just get the 2 section shelving unit with the cabinets in one bundle! This a great option if you have items you’d rather not have accessible for younger children or don’t want to look at all the time like board games.

Optional Add-Ons

I got an optional add-on for my shelves that is the Ivar Folding Table! I haven’t put it on yet because I need to find a new place for my son’s giant lizard tank on the bottom shelf, but once I do, I will put the add-on folding table on my shelving unit for quick extra space when the older kids want a clean spot to put the sewing machine.

COMMENT and let me know if this was helpful and if you have questions!