7 steps to trendy DIY shelves

Sarah Rose Anderson Sarah Rose Anderson
Skandynawskie biele i szarości., 4ma projekt 4ma projekt Scandinavian style living room
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Few things in your home give you more pride than a DIY project. Especially when you receive compliments from guests and visitors on your handiwork! Doing a project with your own hands gives you full control of the design. Your custom-made projects are wholly original and set your home apart from cookie-cutter interiors. If you can imagine it, you can do it yourself!

Today we’re sharing our 7 step guide to DIY shelves. Even the least handy DIYers can follow this simple guide. We’ll show you how to get into a practical and hands-on approach to home design. Remember that you can always contact professionals on homify if you need help with a project. Ready to work building your own trendy wood shelves? Let’s start!

Step 1—Gather your materials

The first and most simple step to this DIY project is to gather up the materials you’ll need. Have you ever heard of the saying, measure twice cut once? You’ll need this kind of patience and diligence to be successful with this project! Make sure you have everything you need BEFORE you start working.

You’ll need your raw materials. Buy in advance wood planks, nails and screws, supports, sandpaper, and paint or stain. Make sure to grab your power drill or borrow one from a friend. Have a plastic sheet to lay down while you build your project to protect your floors and furniture. We love the gorgeous floating shelf holding up prints in this living room. Inspiring!

Step 2—Prepare your boards

The heart of this project is the wooden boards you will use to build your shelves. Have an idea of how you want to arrange them. This is a unique and artful shelf that would be perfect for showing off books and prints. You could also build a simple shadow box if you’re a first-timer.

Before you assemble your shelves make sure that they're ready to go. They should be clean and not dusty. If you’re using a stain or paint, this might be a good time to apply. Sand down any rough corners or edges and triple check that your planks are perfectly ready to go.

Step 3—Map your shelves

Now that your boards are all ready to go, it's time to map out your shelf placement. Where are they going? Pick where you want to install your shelves. Consider the size of your project and measure it out so that it will fit nicely on the wall. Hold up boards along the wall and see how it looks.

Then, put tape up on the wall and mark on the tape (with a ruler and pencil) where you will drill. Once you’re satisfied with the map of your shelves then it's time to go to the next step.

Step 4—Drill time

It’s time to pick up the power tools and get to work! It’s a good idea to drill a pilot hole before putting the screws inside. Take your time drilling and don’t rush. You don’t want to have to spackle up a bunch of mistakes!

DIY shelves are great for every room in the home. In the kid's room they can display stuffed animals, in the bathroom they can hold products and plants, and in the living room they can hold photos and heirlooms. 

Step 5—Finishing the holes

After you drill the holes there’s one crucial step that often gets overlooked. Finish the holes with sandpaper so that they’re clean and they don’t tear. Clean up the dust that gathered from drilling. It’s easy to fold up some post-it notes and stick them on the wall beneath the hole you will drill to help catch dust. A vacuum hose does a good job cleaning the holes up, too. Give the wall a wipe with a damp cloth to finish it all off.

Step 6—Install the supports

Now that you have your holes all finished it’s time to install the plugs, brackets, or supports that will hold your wood planks. Make sure that the supports are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the shelves. You can ask for help at the hardware store if you have trouble getting the size right. This is the most difficult and technical aspect of installing your shelves so take your time to do it right.

Step 7—Hang your boards

The final step to your own DIY shelving project is to hang your boards on the wall. Check out this project. They installed suspension brackets on the wall and stuck the planks inside easily. Floating shelves and simple brackets are easy ways to build your shelf project.

Good luck! We hope your own DIY project turns out! For more DIY inspiration on homify check out our feature on 17 secrets your plumber will never tell you

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