DIY Shelves: 60 Ingenious Ways To Create More Space At Home

DIY shelves are an easy way for you to create more storage space in a busy room. Of all the DIY projects for your home, wall shelves are unique ways to store things in your room at no additional cost. If you have a cluttered room, two shelves would make a difference.

Floating shelves are great ideas for home decor. More than anything, DIY custom shelving are great ways to store things in your home or office. 

The DIY shelves we’ve selected have special characteristics. Each design is a storage solution. All you need to do is figure out where your wall studs are before installing them.

One great thing about DIY shelves is that you won’t need a circular saw, for example, to make the storage shelves.

DIY Shelves

There are many types of DIY custom shelving to choose from, and some are designed for home decor and small items, others offer a storage solution. A DIY shelf can be for material purposes or style. For example, you can use barn wood or plywood sheets. You can also create a coat rack or add more garage storage.

Floating Shelves

Versatile and storage-efficient, floating shelves are known for their simplicity and are a perfect way to showcase small items. The defining feature of floating shelves is the fact that they conceal the mounting equipment and thus appear to the floating in mid air.

Book Shelves 

Bookshelves can be used for other things, like small items. If you have a craft room at home, then you probably have a few books. Home decor experts suggest mixing decorations for visual appeal.

Corner Shelf

Corner shelves are a great idea for small homes. A corner shelf can be floating, hanging, or freestanding. You can also make custom shelving, depending on your space. Corner shelves also give purpose to a corner space in a room.  

Hanging Shelf

Hanging shelves are suspended from a wall, ceiling, or the underside of a cabinet. The style would be ideal for a craft room and if you had a lot of small items.

Built in Shelves

Built in shelves are custom-built to fit inside certain nooks or empty spaces. For example, they can be added to the area between a door and a wall. They’re practical and suited for small spaces or minimalist interiors.

Fixed Bracket Shelves

This is the most common type of shelf today. All you need is a thick wooden board or wooden planks. The brackets are vertical supports for the wood planks.

Custom shelving doesn’t need to be hard. For DIY projects, keep things simple. They’re fixed to walls using brackets which are often made of metal. They’re similar to floating except in this case you can see the mounting hardware.

Freestanding Shelves

These are shelves that don’t require any mounting equipment. They don’t need to be fixed to any surface and they can stand on their own. A big advantage of freestanding shelves is the flexibility they offer. You can easily move them around as you see fit.

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are popular and for good reason. They’re versatile and ideal for any wall space and contemporary interior design.

7 Easy Steps To Make Floating Shelves

Here’s how you can make floating shelves from scratch:

Materials:

• two 28’’ long 1×10 boards
• two 28’’ long 2×3 boards
• six 7 ¾’’ long 2×3 boards
• two 29 ½’’ long 1×4 boards
• four 9 ¼’’ long 1×4 boards
• two 28’’ x 9 ¼’’ plywood boards

Step 1 – Cut the Wood

Step 2 – Drill the Holes

Take the six shortboards and drill two pocket holes into each one (both on the same end and about 2’’ from the sides of the board).

Step 3 – Attach the Boards

Take 3 of these shortboards and attach them to a longboard (the 28’’ 2×3 one). Place two shortboards on the ends and a third one in the middle.

Step 4 – Attach the shelf to the wall

Mark the spots where you want the screws to go when attaching the shelf frame to the wall. Then pre-drill the holes into the frame and attach it to the wall with screws.

Step 5 – Add the bottom

Take one of the plywood pieces and hold it up against the bottom of the frame. Mark the frame lines with a pencil. Add wood glue within the lines and attach the bottom piece to the frame. Secure it with nails.

Step 6 – Add the top

Repeat the same process for the top of the shelf. Use glue and nails to attach the top piece.

Step 7 – Add the sides

Using the same process, add the remaining pieces to the sides and the front of the shelf. After this, you’re done. You can sand and paint the shelf if you want to.

Repurposed Crate Shelves

Using wood crates to make shelves is like a shortcut for DIY projects. Here are some ideas you can try:

Single Crate Shelves

Turning a bunch of wood crates into wall shelves is easy. There’s no need to cut anything. To create shelves, all you have to do is mount the crates on the wall with screws and anchors.

The first step, however, will be to stain the crates to give them the look you want. This part is easy and all you need is sandpaper, wood stain, and old clothes. Find out more about this project and other DIY projects at theblondielocks.

Large Crate Shelves 

If you want, put together crates and make a large wall unit. They don’t need to have the same dimensions or shape as long as you can combine them like pieces of a puzzle and obtain a good-looking composition at the end.

Check out more DIY projects at alightdelight for examples of how such designs would look.

Vertical Crate Tower Shelves

A bunch of wood crates can also be stacked to form a tower unit. You can put separators in each crate to obtain more shelves. The result will be a simple-looking shelving unit that you can make out of crates, wood boards, plywood, and brackets. The building process is described on dreamalittlebigger so check out the tutorial for more details.

Industrial Shelving 

To make shelves look industrial you can rely on certain specific materials, finishes, and design techniques. 

Hanging Copper Shelves

Copper pipes are popular in a lot of great designs for things like DIY shelves, decorative frames, and other accent pieces. A stylish version is offered on delineateyourdwelling. To make these you’ll need copper pipe hooks, cork coasters and scissors. You can use tape to secure the cork base to the hooks.

Copper Hardware

Copper hardware is an accent detail for shelves if you don’t want the industrial look to play a role in the design.

You’ll need a copper pipe cut into pieces, wooden dowels, screws, anchors, pieces of MDF, wood glue, and wood boards. The list of supplies is extensive, so check out vintagerevivals for instructions on how to use them.

Copper Pipe Support

A similarly-chic and simple design can also be found on ajoyfulriot. The shelves themselves don’t need to be special in any way. In addition, you’ll need planges, copper male adapters, screws, and copper tube caps.

The DIY shelves are good for spaces in hallways, entryway, kitchen, laundry room or basically any space that could use some simple extra storage.

L Shelf Brackets

If you want your shelves to have a subtle industrial hint, shelf brackets offer certain advantages. Shelving units with brackets are minimal and easy to make.  Screw L-brackets underneath the board and then screw them into the wall. The project is extremely simple and you can find its full description here.

Pipe Shelf Brackets

DIY shelving unites character with a space. When you use pipes, it’s anything goes. Check out gloriouslymade for a list of supplies. The pipes are heavy in this example and were installed vertically so they wouldn’t sag. 

Reclaimed Wood Shelves 

Using reclaimed wood shelving units for DIY projects is something we love. Not only are they an effective way to add character and charm, but also a simple way to stay eco-friendly.

Weathered Shelves

Need some inspiration? How about the beautiful kitchen shelves featured on Keepingitcozy? The first step should be to sand the wood  if it’s weathered. You can stain it first and then assemble the shelving units.

Distressed Finish

A floating shelf is subtle and easy. If you don’t want to use reclaimed wood or you can’t find any but you want your shelves to feature a distressed look, there are ways to obtain it.

You can check out the method used on sugarandcloth. The project is simple and all you need for it is some untreated wooden shelves, wood stain, a paint brush, a dowel, and brackets.

Metal Pipes

For the DIY shelves featured on Bigplanslittlevictories, the list of supplies includes reclaimed wood, metal pipes plus a few other things like a table saw, a tape measure, sandpaper, screws and a drill.

Here you’ll also find step by step instructions that will guide you from start to finish, from the moment when you make a template on the wall to the very end when you get to enjoy the finished product.

Pallet Wood Shelf

Pallets are also a great resource when it comes to DIY shelves. The transformation doesn’t have a complex one unless you want it to. The pallet shelves featured on Diyandcraftsideas are transparent.

Triple Pallet Wood Shelf 

You can choose to alter the pallet to get the desired design. A good example is this project from meandmadeline. It all started with a wood pallet. The pallet was cut in three separate pieces and three different shelves were created using those pieces. 

Marble Shelves

Wood is the primary choice as a material when it comes to shelves and a lot of other pieces of furniture and accessories for the home. 

Brackets

Marble is great for a shelf. The main idea is to use marble tiles instead of wood boards. The rest of the design and the building process remains the same. {kristimurphy}

Marble Tile 

A really cute and stylish hanging shelf also made using a marble tile can be found on abubblylife. Aside from the marble tile, you’ll also need leather cord and scissors if you want to recreate the design.

Start by cutting two equal lengths of cord. Tie each end into a knot with a loop at the top. Lay the cords in a cross and place the tile on top. Tie a knot where the cords meet at the top. You can use the shelf as a hanging planter stand.

Floating Shelves

The simplicity of floating shelves often makes us underestimate them when, in fact, they’re practical and versatile.

Copper Shelves

There are variations of floating shelves. This is one eye-catching example from vintagerevivals. The DIY shelves would stand out in  any home décor.

Block Wood Shelves

The block wood shelves from beckhamandbelle are not lacking style either. Their beauty and charm lies in their simplicity and the perfectly-balanced proportions. The stain color is also well-chosen, emphasizing the wood’s natural beauty and unique pattern.

Wooden Shelves

Floating shelves are a great way to add storage to a small room or without occupying floor space. The dining room can be a good example in this case. Check out the elegant shelves you can add with a small budget. You can customize the dimensions of the shelves according to your own particular needs. {heyletsmakestuff}.

Floating Corner Shelves

On Ahomewest you can also find a great design for corner shelves. A corner shelf is great because it lets you use a portion of a room that is empty. You can adjust the spacing between the DIY shelves as well as the pattern they create.

L-Shaped Corner Shelves

WhenFloating corner shelves are a nice addition to spaces, including home offices, living rooms, and bedrooms. They’re easy to craft and install if you have a plan in mind regarding the final result. The list of supplies needed  includes wood boards, wood screws, fasteners, paint, glue, a drill, saw, and sandpaper.

For more details you can check out the example on Abeautifulmess.

Personalized Floating Shelves

If you’d rather not craft the shelves yourself from scratch, there’s also the option to buy them and then give them a quick makeover. Check out the Ikea hack featured on Abubblylife for a little bit of inspiration. The project shows you how to add a pop of color to your floating shelves with contact paper.

Office Shelves

Floating shelves are extremely practical in areas such as the kitchen or the home office. They add extra storage and they’re very convenient. If you want to be creative, you can make your floating shelves double as drawers. Find out more about this on notjustahousewife.

Magazine Holder

DIY floating shelves such as the one featured on Atilio are interesting because they offer something more. In this case, the shelf doubles as a magazine holder, which is a great idea to reduce clutter. To add this functionality a few simple things are needed: hooks, a string and two wood beads.

Geo Shelves

Geometric designs are a cool way to create more storage space in your room. They are suitable for modern and contemporary interiors although they’re pretty versatile in general and can adapt well to a lot of other settings.

Honeycomb Shelves

These honeycomb shelves look really chic and they’re not that difficult to make either. The challenge is cutting the pieces of wood at just the right angle.

Hexagon Shelves

Another tutorial on how to make hexagonal wall shelves can be found on burkatron. They can be combined and installed in groups in order to create a honeycomb pattern. 

Two-Tone Hexagonal Shelves

And since hexagon-shaped shelves seem to be so popular and versatile, here’s yet another tutorial on how to create them.

The ones featured on sheknows are special because of the color combination. The interior was painted a nice shade of turquoise while the rest of the wood kept its natural color.

Lattice Shelves

The versatility of geometric shelf designs can best be seen in the case of these lattice shelves. They’re perfect for planters or vases but also as bookshelves or even as a key hanger for the entrance hallway. To make such a shelf you need a sheet of Union Jack radiator cover, industrial strength adhesive and some spray paint. {found on francoisetmoi}

Triangle Shelves

The beauty of the triangle shelves featured on wellmadeheart lies in their simplicity. They’re great for a  modern or contemporary décor but also a rustic, traditional or eclectic setting. In addition, you can play with proportions and mix and match different-sized shelves.

Intertwining Shelves

Other designs which are a bit more complex are also an interesting possibility. For example, check out the geometric shelves we found on livecreatedecorate. To craft shelves like these you’ll need some timber, a saw, wood glue, small timber nails, matte polyurethane, white acrylic paint, tape, and sandpaper.

Circular Shelves

Circular shelves are look really attractive and their shape allows them to stand out in a really simple and chic way. Of course, the small details also play a very important role.

We found a really cute project on thelovelydrawer. Keep in mind that these are decorative shelves which are not able to withstand a lot of weight.

Circular Shelf Platforms

The circular wall shelf featured on newblooming takes the design to a whole new level. The supplies needed for the DIY project include suede leather lace, quilting hoops, clamps, glue, and basswood sheets.

Check out the full description of the project for more details and for a bit more inspiration.

DIY Hanging Shelves

Hanging shelves are very versatile and fit in most types of spaces. There’s all sorts of shapes, sizes and designs to choose from.

Leather Strap Hanging Shelf

Hanging shelves are usually really easy to design and build. A suggestive example in this sense is offered on camillestyles.

This project is so simple you’ll be wondering why you haven’t done it sooner. You’ll need a leather strip, a wood board, ribbed plastic anchors, metallic gold spray paint, painter’s tape and a drill.

Paint the edge of the board golden, drill holes in the leather, and screw the strip to the board.

Anchor Hanging Shelf

A similar but, at the same time, different project is featured on atilio. This time the list o supplies includes a bunch of PVC pipes or some other kind of bars or rods. These will be used as a base for the shelf. Rope is used to hang the shelf on the wall after hooks are installed.

Wood Bead Accents

Another really simple design for a hanging shelf which you can also find on atilio shows how you can use simple wood beads to give the shelf a chic and stylish look. All you need for this project is a wood board, four wood beads and some rope, twine or string, in addition to the two wall hooks.

Hanging Storage

This hanging shelf is made out of a box. The wall color serves as a nice backsplash. The shelving style is a great idea and simple. In addition to the wooden box you’ll also need some paint, rope, a drill and a paint brush. After you drill the holes on each side of the wooden box, thread the rope through them and tie a knot on each end. You could also use old crates for this style. 

Paint the outside and hang the shelf. {found on brit}

Tiered Shelves

Using this technique or a similar one you can group up two or more shelves. Curious how such a design would look like? Check out designsponge for a pretty great example. The supplies required in this case include rope, wooden shelves, a drill, paint in the color of your choice and two hooks.

Thread the rope ends through the holes of the first shelf and make a knot under the shelf. Then thread them through the bottom shelf and tie a knot once again.

DIY Shelves With Belt Straps

The belt straps used to hand the shelves featured on athomeinlove offer a versatile and beautiful design idea which can be adapted to a lot of different projects. The two shelves featured here share the same design and, although they’re individual pieces, they form a nice duo.

Neon Cord Shelves

Hanging shelves can be customized in a lot of fun and eye-catching ways. Using three floating shelves, poly cord, spray paint, tape and glue gun you can craft shelves that look very similar to the ones featured on ducklingsinarow. The pink cord gives them a really fun look and, in addition, the ombre look adds a chic touch to the whole design.

Old Books

The project featured on thedecorfix gives a whole new meaning to the term “bookshelf.” That’s because the shelves are made of books.

Here’s how the process goes: drill holes in the corners of the books. Cover the books in wrapping paper and apply a thin cover. After they dry, and poke holes through the paper to match those in the books. Measure the twine, cut it to size and thread it through the holes. Tie four knots and then thread the second book through. You can then add the third book and then tie a knot at the top.

Whenever you wanted new ones, you could switch the books out. 

Hanging Bathroom Shelves

A hanging shelf can be a great addition to a bathroom. You can use it as a storage space for extra tp rolls, lotions and other things. If you want to use the design offered on shanty-2-chic, gather your supplies which include two wood boards, wood screws, wood glue, sisal rope, and a hook.

Rustic Log Shelves

A log can be used in stylish ways for a home’s interior design, whether you use it as a solid mass or cut it into slices.

Wood Slices 

Wood slice shelves have a rustic touch which allows them to either stand out or blend in, depending on how the rest of the décor is presented. Check out girllovesglam to find out how to make a wood slice shelf with a rustic-industrial look.

Edge Wood Shelves

Instead of cutting the log into round slices another possibility is to cut it lengthwise in order to obtain raw-edge boards which you can then use as shelves. All you need is a shelf and a set of brackets. Screw the brackets into the bottom of the shelf and then mount it on the wall. {designsponge}.

DIY Shelves Brackets

Let’s also have a look at a few different shelf designs for which the brackets are more or less the focal point.

Rustic Shelves 

The rustic bathroom shelves featured on designdininganddiapers can be an example worth checking out. The brackets themselves are not exactly extraordinary in terms of design but they look right here.

Adjustable Shelves

In the case of the painted shelves featured on designlovefest it’s difficult to day which element is the most eye-catching.

Both the mounting hardware and the painted stripes stand out but each in a different way. You can play with the design, the colors and the combinations of styles and patterns in a lot of fun ways.

L Brackets

Another example where the brackets suit the shelves in a great way is offered on craftsmandrive. The shelves featured here have an overall simple and versatile design although the brackets tend to give them a rustic feel. The simplicity allows them to look at home in a modern décor.

Multi-Purpose Shelves

When space limited or when you simply want to make the most of the space you have, multifunctional furniture saves the day. This applies to just about anything, including shelves.

Pegboard 

A great example of multifunctional shelves is offered on Themerrythought. The pegboard organizer featured here also has built-in shelves which are great for storing and displaying accessories.

Key Holder

The combination between a simple wall shelf and a key holder featured on burkatron is clever and practical. Such an accessory would make a wonderful addition to the entryway. The shelf provides a cute little space for displaying a potted plant or something else which the key holder is great to have.

Industrial Pipe Shelves

For an entryway or walk-in closet, the industrial pipe shelves featured on onebroadsjourney would be practical. That’s because of their double function. The pipes that act as supports for the shelves also serve as rods for hangers. You can put together such a unit yourself. Check out the full tutorial for more details.

Mirror Frame Shelving

In the case of the design offered on themerrythought the shelves and the mirror form together a sort of vanity. The design, however, is more casual and simplified. You can create something similar by using a large wood board as a back support.

Freestanding Shelves

A similar design, this time for the office, is offered on scandifoodie. The shelving unit featured here is made in a similar way, using a large wooden board as a support structure and a bunch of small shelves attached to it.

The shelves serve as storage and display areas for books, decorations, files and all sorts of other things. The design is not only simple and easy to make but also quite good-looking in such a setting.

DIY Spice Rack 

A kitchen is not complete without a spice rack. Yet finding one that actually suits your kitchen is not as easy as it may seem. The solution in such cases is to build the rack yourself.

Mason Jar Flair

You can find a bunch of great tutorials and designs on the internet, the example offered on hildablue being one of them. For this project you’ll need a wooden shelf, some paint (optional), mason jars and screws.

Display Shelves

It’s important for a spice rack to be practical. This is why you need to pay special attention to the details such as the type of containers you’ll be using or the area where you’ll be hanging the shelf. If your collection of spices is something to be proud of, check out the idea on confessionsofanewworldhomeowner.

Repurposed Shelves

You can make DIY shelves with many things including repurposed items. This is a cool way to personalize your decor and to avoid throwing out old stuff.

Skateboard Shelves

Repurposing items as shelves is a fun and creative idea. An old skateboard, for example, could make an eye-catching shelf and all you have to do is find a way to mount it on the wall. There’s no need to remove the wheels or the hardware. It’s enough to add two brackets. {beingbrook}

Shelf With Crutches

A pair of crutches could also become an important design element for a set of DIY shelves. Curious how that can be? Check out the shelving unit featured on mamiejanes. The first step is to transform the crutches so they can become a viable part of the design of the shelving unit. 

Half Table Shelves

The list of things that can be repurposed into shelves is pretty much endless. For example, even an old table can be sued for such a project. You’ll be cutting the table in two lengthwise. Stack the two halves one on top of the other and this will be your shelving unit. The idea comes from infarrantlycreative.

Repurposed Ladder

Old ladders make great DIY shelves. For example, a ladder can easily be repurposed as a shelving unit. This idea applies to just about any kind of ladder and each type asks for a different transformation. The ladder planter stand featured on funkyjunkinteriors requires little effort to make and can become a refreshing week-end project.

Picture Frame Shelves

In some cases, certain types of picture frames can also be repurposed as wall shelves. The transformation couldn’t be easier, if we’re talking about shadow boxes. However, any type of frame can become a shelf with a little bit of help. For more info, check out the tutorial on shanty-2-chic.

Bucket Shelves

With this idea, it depends on how many shelves you want. Another refreshing and ingenious idea is to repurpose buckets for wall shelves. The result will look interesting but will also be versatile and practical. Use them as bookshelves and for other cases as well. You can check out ohohblog for more inspiration.

Old Shutters

Shutters can also be transformed into shelves and the design possibilities are numerous. For example, small alterations can allow you to use a shutter as a magazine rack. As the example on serendipitychicdesign shows, you can apply a drastic transformation in order to obtain a different but just as interesting type of shelf.

Christmas Sled Style

Let’s finish the list with something festive and Christmas-related. We’re talking about a shelving unit made of a repurposed sled. You can find more details on the project and the steps you need to take if you want to create other easy-to-follow crafts at funkyjunkyinteriors.

Types Shelf Brackets

Most shelves are attached to walls using brackets. Here are a few of the common styles:

Angle Brackets

These are also referred to as L-brackets. They are made of metal, but wood or plastic angle brackets are also available. They’re angled at 90 degrees, hence the name.

Floating Brackets

They’re simple and modern and they don’t stand out as much as other bracket types. Floating brackets are used to give shelves a floating look but they’re completely invisible.

Invisible Brackets

These are the perfect brackets if you want perfect floating shelves. When installed, they’re hidden behind the shelf.

Lip Brackets

A lip bracket has a curved lip at the end. This prevents slipping and also adds decorative detail to the shelf.

Decorative Brackets

These brackets are not meant to be hidden. They’re not just mounting hardware but also a decorative element for the shelves. They come in various different materials and styles.

Pipe Brackets

Pipe brackets are heavy-duty and suited for shelves that hold a lot of weight. They’re also great if you want an industrial look.

Folding Brackets

This type of bracket allows you to install shelves or tabletops which can be folded away when not in use. 

DIY Wall Shelves Conclusion

When building DIY wall shelves for your home or office, you’ll need a plan. After you’ve created a budget, visit a few hardware stores, and see what they have on sale so you can save money. You can find discounts on home improvement items like measuring tape or power tools like a circular saw. If you don’t already have a stud finder, you might want to get one. 

Wall shelves are good projects for inexperienced DIYers. Installing corner shelves or garage shelves may require advanced skills, so enlist a best friend to help or at least get their opinion before you do anything.

With storage shelves, you can use cardboard boxes, pallet wood, or wooden planks, to name a few. Before you install your DIY shelves, you’ll need to confirm what’s on the other side of your wall area. A blank wall is a canvas, but understand there’s something behind it, so make sure you know what it is. For heavy duty storage space or garage space, you’ll need reinforced containers, so make sure they’re durable. 

As you’ve learned here, there are many ways you can transform a wall space with DIY shelving. Whether a kid’s room or creating a rustic vibe in your living room, home décor projects like DIY wall shelving are fun ways to add personality to a room. 

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