Beautiful DIY Shelves in 4 Simple Steps
Doing your own little renovations and interior decorations is a lot of fun, but most people are worried that they’ll either ruin their home or that it’ll cost too much. As a result, they’ll typically ask other people or even consider speaking to a contractor, especially if it’s a relatively large project.
Thankfully, performing your own little DIY renovations is easy if you know how. So in this article, we’re going to help you design and put together some beautiful DIY shelves in just four simple steps.
1. Plan your shelves
One of the first things to do is plan out your shelving ideas. This is where shelving inspiration can come in handy. One of the most unique ideas is to take old furniture and bits of wood that you might have laying around and turn them into some beautiful shelves. For instance, if you have an old table lying around, you can recycle the wood and create some custom-length shelves. Alternatively, if you have some sturdy wooden boxes from storing fruits and vegetables, they can easily be bolted onto the wall to create some rustic shelves.
2. Purchase the materials and tools
Next, you’ll want to purchase some tools and extra materials. For tools, you’ll ideally want a basic set that includes things such as a screwdriver, hammer and perhaps a drill if you plan to install your walls into a tough material. A live wire detector will also help.
For materials, it really depends on the type of shelf that you want to design. If you’re doing it from scratch, then most types of wood are generally considered fine. If you’re recycling some home furniture and materials, then you can save a lot of money.
In addition to the shelf itself, you need a way to mount it. If the material is thick enough, you can hide a mounting system in the shelf unit, such as holes to slot a metal rod into. However, the most common option is to use heavy duty angled corner brackets and bolt them to both the shelf and your wall. This provides a sturdy fit and can be used on any type of shelf.
3. Prepare your wall
Now you’ll want to prepare the wall. If you need to drill holes, make sure the furniture and carpets close to the wall have some kind of protection so you don’t get bits of wood and wallpaper everywhere.
The wall itself should also be examined for any wooden supports and wiring. You’ll typically need some kind of tool to locate the wiring so that you don’t accidentally drill into it. However, if you don’t have a drill then you can always hammer nails and other anchors into the wall instead.
4. Install your shelves
Now you can finally install your shelves. In most cases, you’re going to be bolting a bracket to the wall and then placing the shelf onto those brackets. Then, you’ll be using screws to attach the shelf unit to the other half of the brackets.
This part is easy, assuming you have a little help to hold the shelf while you screw it in. While you don’t need power tools for most materials, it’s still a good idea to speed up the process.
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