Although Shannon Zickel thought store-bought bookcases would work as the base of her dream scrapbook space, she knew she wanted more pizzazz—and space!

“I loved the two white bookcases I found at Wal-Mart but wanted to add extra oomph,” Shannon says. “That’s when my husband and I decided to create our own horizontal storage space that would serve as additional cubby room across the top.”

Shannon bought melamine at a local home-improvement store, had it cut to her measurements, and assembled the horizontal storage area to fit across the two bookcases. The perfect finish?: A little crown molding attached along the top.

“I wanted the storage to look sturdy and decorative,” Shannon says. “The crown molding helped do just that.”

With the shelving secured tightly with screws, Shannon then went to work creating a magnet board to hold scrapbook inspiration. She purchased more crown molding, sawed off the edges, and fit the pieces together as a large frame. Inside, she added a cut-to-size piece of sheet metal. She considered painting it as well but liked the industrial look.

“I thought my photos and magazine tear sheets would pop off nicely against the silver finish,” she says. “I just love the result!”

Tip from Shannon: Measure, measure, and then measure again. “I’ve put a lot of heavy items on the shelves, and that weight needs to be supported with precisely cut pieces,” she says.

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