How To Make A $7 Floating Shelf

Glen
by Glen
$7.00
3 Hours
Easy
For this project, I’ll be making 2 floating shelves. Affordable, stylish and easy to make. These shelves can improve any space. Either a bathroom, living room, kids room etc. The best part about it is that each shelf can be made for only $7.








Check out the video for more details.


Materials (per shelf) 
1- 2in x 6in x 8ft (Spruce Pine)  @ your local hardware store
1- pack of keyhole hanger http://amzn.to/2mbVVrZ 
1- 1/2inX 48 Dowel @ your local hardware store


Other 
- Oil-Rubbed Bronze Paint- http://amzn.to/2kBKJbO
- Wood Glue http://amzn.to/2lXZLsW
- Wood Glues bottle http://amzn.to/2lzdvJU  
- Self-drilling drywall anchor http://amzn.to/2lwJp9i 


Tools 
- Wood Clamps http://amzn.to/2kBFkBr 
- Drill http://amzn.to/2la0i9z 
- Dowel bit - http://amzn.to/2mcnh1b 
- Dead-blow mallet http://amzn.to/2la1o56 
- Circular saw http://amzn.to/2lXIUGu 
- Miter Saw http://amzn.to/2la0YM9 
- Hand saw http://amzn.to/2la9I4z 
- Sander http://amzn.to/2kBIYLO 











Depending on the tools you have access to you can use a hand saw, circular or a miter to make these cuts. Maybe you have a friend that could give you a hand with this process.











For this project, I'll be making 2 shelves. After all the pieces are cut you should end up with 4 pieces of lumber measuring at 32 inches and 4 pieces of lumber measuring at 6 inches.


I wanted to make this project doable for any beginner. So I used butt joints and dowels. For more experience viewers I would suggest Miter Joints. This will give it a cleaner appearance.













Apply wood glue to the corners, clamp the joints in place to prevent any shifting. You could use screws if you like, but to give a cleaner look I used two 1/2 inch dowels per corner. Mark the dowel so that it goes through both pieces of wood. Apply wood glue to the dowel as well in the hole. Hammer the dowel down till it reaches a stopping point. Now take a saw and cut off the excess. Leave the clamps in place and allow enough time for the glue to dry. Next sand the shelf using 80 grit to remove the rough texture, then 120 grit, followed by 220 grit.












As far as finishing It's a matter of taste. My opinion you can't go wrong with either stain or paint. I found this paint a few months back, and I had to have it. I was a bit hesitant on what the finished product should look like. I chanced it with this  Oil-Rubbed Bronze paint  which gave it a nice rich look to it. It wasn't too appealing after the first coat. The second coat looked amazing; I stopped there but, I have to imagine a third coat would top it off.










Here is a mounting tip I learned a while back. Take a piece of scrap wood and drill out your mounting holes. Then use that same scrap wood and mark the shelf and the wall. If carefully done it will line up every time. Next, install the Keyhole hangers, be sure to drill out behind the keyhole hanger. So the screw doesn't interfere To mount the shelf I'll be using  self -d drilling drywall anchor, each one is rated for up to 50 pounds. Using  self -d drilling drywall anchor, each one is rated for up to 50 pounds.












Floating shelves are a great project for your home, not only do they look nice but saves you a ton of space. You can use them for many things like displaying collectibles, photos or other decorations.















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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  2 questions
  • Cherie Cherie on Mar 04, 2017
    Would it be possible to drill and hang a shelf onto/into (?) Bathroom wall tile?
  • Cherie Cherie on Mar 04, 2017
    Would it be feasible for me to drill a hole into bathroom wall tile (inside shower cubicle) to hang this floating shelf? I'm a bit worried about the tile cracking.
Comments
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2 of 56 comments
  • Julie M. Julie M. on Jul 09, 2021

    Love this project. Thanks for sharing!

  • Diana Diana on Feb 01, 2022

    I plan to try/do this. Start with 2 then add more. Very detailed description, thank you for your great step by step making.

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