How To Make A Floating Picture Shelf

MATERIALS

Leftover pieces of wood if possible, wood glue, nails, primer, white paint, wood filler, 220-grit sandpaper, screws for hanging. We used power tools, but you may be able to have wood cut for you at a store like Home Depot.

STEP 1 - CUT THREE BOARDS

Cut the width that will fit your space. These were cut to fit my studio wall.

SHELF BACK THAT ATTACHES TO THE WALL: 32″ long by 4 1/4″ wide by approximately 5/8″ thick

SHELF BOTTOM: 32″ long and 2 1/4″ wide by approximately 5/8″ thick

SHELF LIP: 32″ long, 2″ wide, and 3/8″ thick

CUT OUT THE THREE PIECES

Cut the two larger pieces from one board. Rip the smaller piece for the lip. Add a bit of wood glue where the edges connect.

STEP 2 – ASSEMBLE THE PIECES

Put the pieces together them a nailer to attach the three pieces.

STEP 3 – FILL THE HOLES AND PAINT

Fill the holes, prime the raw edges, and paint. I used  Fusion Mineral Paint in Casement. Now it’s ready to hang. Steve found the studs and used screws to attach the shelf. We made lots of these shelves in several lengths for three areas in our house.

We have a rather odd, wide entry hallway, so I decided to make three shelves where we can add and subtract photos easily.

In our master bedroom, we made one really long shelf to hold my artwork, a print I bought in Portugal, my family tree, and some fun old letters.

There is a little wall in my studio that is perfect for yet more shelves. Normally I have them filled with art pieces in progress, but today I am using them to display lots of my favorite design books. The one we just made was added at the bottom. Because who doesn’t need another shelf?

Now that you see how easy it is to make these, are you ready to rock some shelves for your home?

I would love for you to join me on my website and blog at

https://debbiedionhayescreative.com/blog/ for more home update and painting projects!