For a while now, I’ve been shopping for a minimal raw wood floating shelf, but to no success. Knowing that adding shelving to your walls will enhance your space, I always make it an effort to do so. I have always loved floating wood shelves in particular. So, I decided to take it into my own hands and design one that was not only pretty and the exact aesthetic I was going for, but inexpensive and easy to make.
This post is meant to provide the exact measurements and supplies that you will need. I also filmed a video of me making this exact shelf from start to finish so that you can easily visualize each step and refer back to it if you decide to make one for yourself.
All supplies besides the drill set (which was purchased at Ikea) where purchased at Home Depot, so this is an easy one-stop project. It is a very affordable project as well at under $15 for all supplies, and you could easily make multiple shelves for under $10 with leftover supplies.
Watch the video below for a quick tutorial on how to make this floating shelf!
SUPPLIES
• 1 - 0.75” depth x 5.5” width x 24” length piece of maple wood board
• 60 sandpaper for wood (comes in pack of 5 sheets)
• 2 - #10x3” phillips wood screws (comes in pack of 2)
• 2 - EZ Ancor drywall anchor that hangs up to 75lbs (comes in pack of 4)
• #12-24 Everbilt machine screw nuts (comes in pack of 10)
• 3/4” diameter x 48” length wooden dowel (cut down to 2 - 7” pieces.
• Drill bit and phillips screwdriver
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1
Cut dowels
Home Depot has a saw station that you can use to cut down your wooden dowels. Cut 2 - 7” pieces. With remaining wood, you could easily make 4 more pieces depending on if you are making multiple shelves. Of course, you’d need to adjust your amount of supplies if that is the case.
STEP 2
Sand dowels
Sand down the ends of the wooden dowels until smooth.
STEP 3
Drill dowels
Drill one side of each dowel 2” deep and at a circumference that allows for the head of the phillips screw to be completely inserted. I drilled my holes to a width of 1.25 cm since my screws had a lip that wide.
STEP 4
measure your wall
Measure the width of the wall you are planning to hang your shelf on. Since the piece of wood is 24” in length, you will need to leave an equal amount of space at each end in order to center it on the wall. This amount will depend on your individual space. Once you’ve identified how much space you need for each side, measure 3.25” from each edge of the piece of wood. This is where your wooden dowels will be placed and where you will place your holes in your wall. Use a leveler to make sure that everything is even before drilling your holes. I just downloaded a leveler in the app store and used my phone to do this.
STEP 5
Install drywall anchors and screws
With your drill bit, drill your holes into the wall and then screw the drywall anchors in place with a phillips screwdriver. Take your phillips screws and run a screw nut through each before you install them. Screw in until secured and tight (about 1”). Leave a 2” allowance to insert the wooden dowels into.
STEP 6
Insert wooden dowels and hang
Insert the wooden dowels into the screw and nut until secure. Hang shelf and then style with finishing touches. Make sure to keep shelf flush to wall so that all the weight is held up against the screws.
Wasn’t that an easy project! If you try this project, make sure to tag me @hellolovelyliving on Instagram so I can see!
I also have another hanging wood shelf project you may be interested in too. You can see that here!
