All I Need is a Drill? – DIY Rope Shelf

Really, can we build a piece of useful and sturdy furniture with just a drill, the least intimidating of all power tools?
Easy to build and hang, this gold and turquoise DIY rope shelf is also collapsible, great for those of us who move a lot, or, dream a lot about about being nomads!
Start with 3 piece of wood boards 8″ wide by 24″ long by 0.75″ thick. If you get 1×8 pine boards or other type of wood at the hardware store, they will cut it into 2′ section for you.
Cut 4 holes on each board, one at each corner. We used a 3/4″ Spade Drill Bit which is what we had, but it’s better to use a Spiral Flute 3/4″ Drill Bit because the cut is smoother.


Use some scrap wood under the board that will be drilled through to protect your work table. Sand the wood a little if needed.
Dye some 1/2" sisal rope by dipping it into a bowl of diluted yellow acrylic paint. Lay it on plastic or hang it to dry.
Paint the wood with your favorite colors of acrylic paint or milk paint. I love turquoise, I also diluted the acrylic paint so the wood grains still shows a bit.
Fold a piece of rope in half, start making the first 2 knots, then thread through the holes, secure with knots on the other side. Measure the rope and do the same knotting and threading for each shelf, keep testing and adjusting the knots if needed.
Gotta have tassels right? It’s so easy to make tassels with sisal ropes!
Hang it with monkey hooks, and we have a durable, strong and pretty shelf! To check out a super cool trick on how to mark the drilling points so all the holes are perfectly aligned and symmetrical, visit the link below!
APieceofRainbow
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • I know I'm late here, but how are they holding up? Think they'd be sturdy enough for books? I have an odd wall in my living room and I woukd like to have shelving there, but not too boxy. These would look great in the space but im not sure if just it's sturdy enough

  • Sarah Sota Sarah Sota on Dec 21, 2018

    What are "monkey hooks" ? The shelves are 24 inches wide and that leaves the hooks only in the sheetrock as studs are usually 16 inches apart. It is a lovely shelf that I want to make but concerned it will not stay put on the wall.

  • Beth Marinelli Beth Marinelli on May 02, 2019

    hi, could you SHOW the top part where you hang the shelving with the hooks?


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  • Kay K Cardenas Kay K Cardenas on Jun 25, 2019

    What an absolute great idea! Thank you! I need extra shelves for Christmas!

  • Jenny Jenny on Sep 06, 2020

    Drowning under a sea of cuddly toys I made a five shelved version of this for my little girl's room. That was thirty years ago and they were screwed into ceiling beams. They were still going strong when we took them down. Why did I throw them out?! 😤

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