Bookcase cutting template
Bookcase Cut List Template
Use this bookcase cut list template to plan a plywood bookcase before cutting. It lists the sides, shelves, top, bottom, and back with sizes and quantities, so you can fit the parts on a single sheet and cut with fewer mistakes.
A simple plywood bookcase plan
Most bookcases are a tall box: two side panels, a fixed top and bottom, a stack of shelves, and a thin back that keeps the case square. Plywood is ideal because the sides and shelves are flat panels that cut cleanly from sheet stock. This template assumes a bookcase roughly 30 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 72 inches tall with four adjustable shelves. Adjust the numbers to your wall and the books you need to hold, then keep the structure.
Bookcase parts list
Material: 3/4 in plywood (case), 1/4 in plywood (back)
Kerf allowance: 1/8 in between cuts
Grain direction: vertical on sides, front-to-back on shelves
Part | Size (in) | Qty
----------------+---------------+----
Side panel | 11-1/4 x 72 | 2
Top / bottom | 11-1/4 x 28-1/2 | 2
Fixed shelf | 11-1/4 x 28-1/2 | 1
Adjustable shelf| 11 x 28-1/4 | 4
Back panel | 29-1/2 x 71 | 1The sides run the full height with the grain vertical so the case looks right. Shelves are cut a touch shallower than the sides to sit behind the front edge, and the back is cut from thinner 1/4 inch plywood to save weight and cost.
Fit a bookcase on one sheet
The two long sides are the parts that decide whether one sheet is enough. At 11-1/4 x 72 inches each, they take two long rips down a 4x8 sheet, and the shelves, top, and bottom pack into the remaining width. To see exactly how the panels fit and whether you can build this from a single sheet, run the parts through the plywood cut calculator with your real kerf value.
If you want to keep and reopen the plan, save the whole project in the CutList app. For a worked example of squeezing a bookcase out of one sheet, read building a bookcase from one sheet of plywood.
Cut order and waste tips
Cut the two full-height sides first while the sheet is most stable, then break the remainder into the top, bottom, and shelves. Keep the shelves grouped so they come out identical, and label the back panel separately since it is the thinner stock. For the method behind clean sheet breakdown, read how to cut plywood efficiently and saw kerf explained so the parts come out the right size.
For more sheet-good projects, try the closet shelving cut list template or the 4x8 plywood cut list template.