I love the look of open wall shelves and floating shelves. They are super good looking, functional and DIY friendly.
Cabinets are much more labor and material intensive. If you have a blank wall and a need for extra storage, wall shelves can be just attractive yet much easier to build than cabinets!
There are many ways to build wall shelves. Here is a collection of 16 inspiring DIY tutorials with detailed steps and many great variations on choosing brackets, supports, materials and finishes!
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We will start with floating shelves first. These types of wall shelves are very popular because there is no visible hanging hardware and the shelves really look like they are floating. ( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. )
1, 2, 3 & 4. Hidden inner frames
One of the ways to support floating shelves is to use hidden inner frames. Sources: Shades of Blue Interiors | Young House Love | Shanty 2 Chic | Desert Domicile
First build hidden inner frames with 1x2s, and screw the frame to the wall studs. A magnetic stud finder is a great tool to help you find studs.
Attach the top, bottom and side panels of the shelves to the frames withwood screwsand /or wood glue . When everything is put together, each shelf would look like one chunky piece of solid wood.
Paint the shelves white for a refreshing look, or stain them a darker color for a more traditional feel.
Related Article: Seven recipes to make your own natural wood stains: low cost and earth friendly!
5 & 6. Got to Love Crates
Crate make great floating shelves. Sources: Natural Interiors by Ali Hanan | Soul Style
You can either screw them directly into the wall, or use D Rings hangers like these or keyhole hangers to hang them. Always remember to check weight limits!
7 & 8. French Cleat in Two Ways
A French Cleat is a linear bracket capable of supporting lots of weight.
You can purchase a metal French Cleat like this one, or make one with wood like shown below. Sources: Lumberjocks | Domestic Doozie
We all know how heavy pallets are. A French cleat is a great solution for hanging a pallet shelf!
The next group of wall shelves are bracket shelves and hanging shelves.
