Once (upon a time)
I lived on another boat. Her name was Daisy. On Daisy, my bed was about four feet off the ground, the wooden frame was built around a stack of sixteen (yes, you read that right!) large IKEA Samla boxes for storage. I used to have a ‘box map’ which helped me to locate the stuff I had stored in the boxes.
The bed was perfectly placed just under a sliding window, which meant I could wake up in the middle of the night, stick my head out, and say hello to the moon or watch night wild life (if I was minded) which was brilliant. I loved the high position of the bed and the fact that I was practically level with the window!
I needed a shelf
What wasn’t so great, was finding somewhere to put my book, my phone, and the other life sundries. And what I also needed in the morning was just a place to pop my morning cup of coffee. My routine was (still is) to write my diary in bed before getting up.
Adding a traditional shelf was a no-go. It would’ve blocked the window and got in the way of changing the bed. So one day, in a glorious flash of low-stakes DIY genius, I had an epiphany: straps.
I had an epiphany!
Two simple leather straps screwed into the wooden lining of Daisy’s walls. I slipped a book into them and voilà—tension did the rest. The book created a little floating shelf. A book hammock, if you will. It was simple, elegant, and possibly (probably) a world first. The only damage to the boat walls was two little screw holes, should I decide to move it.
Better still, when I didn’t need the shelf, I could just leave the book nestled there, safe and sound. No mess. No clutter. No need to fish my novel out from under the bed at 2am.
And now?
I make these straps in my workshop onboard Craftybird.
They’re made of veg tan leather, which means you can customise them however you like. Paint them, dye them, emboss them, make them match your curtains or clash with your wallpaper. I supply them plain, pre-punched, and with screws included—ready to go wherever you need a shelf that isn’t a shelf (if you know what I mean!)
So whether you're short on space, big on books, or just love a bit of clever, compact design, grab a pair of Book Hammock Straps. Your nightstand (or lack thereof) will thank you.
I also make them in a slightly larger size to fit a laptop too. And the other really cool thing about them is that you can put any length of shelf, or any width.They work on ‘angled’ walls if you anchor the bottom of the strap with another screw.
Buy from Craftybird or DIY for yourself!
I now have versions of these shelves all over Craftybird - in the back cabin because I didn’t want to scuff up the scumbling (!) and in the lounge because I needed a glass of wine and glasses shelf.
As you can see, the idea is very simple! They can also be an easy project for you to make for yourself from stuff you might have lying about such as old belts, luggage straps, rope, etc.
