Materials Needed:
1X8 board
1X3 board
1X2 board
Paint
Drill/driver set
Miter saw (You could also use a hand saw or circular saw if you don’t have one!)
Brad nailer
Wood glue
Hooks
French cleat or D-ring hangers
Step One: Measure & Cut
First up, decide how long you want your shelf to be and cut all of your boards to that length.
You’ll need:
length of the 1X8
length of the 1X3
lengths of the 1X2
I recommend using a miter saw to do this (you can check out this tutorial if you don’t know how to use one), but you can also have the hardware store cut it down for you! These are the only cuts you’ll need to make, and once you’ve made them you’re already about halfway there.
Step TWo: Attach Your shelf
The first board you’ll want to attach is the shelf board. The 1X8 will act as the backing for your hooks, and the 1X3 will be the shelf.
To attach it, I just drew a straight line along the board at the height I wanted then shelf to be then predrilled several holes along that line. Then, I clamped the shelf into place and attached it from the back with screws. Don’t forget the wood glue for added sturdiness!
Then, you’ll add one of the 1X2 boards to the front of that shelf, sticking up to create a ledge. I attached it using wood clue and my brad nailer.
Collage of instructional images for building a shelf
Step Three: Attach the trim pieces
Finally, you’ll use the other 1X2 piece as trim on the bottom. This is an optional piece, but it adds a nice detail! Again, just attach it using wood glue and your nailer.
Of course, I realized a little too late that it would have made a lot more sense to skip the trim on the bottom so I could place my hooks a little lower – the top hook isn’t all that functional.
But, it looks cute and I have five hooks that work great, so who needs function?!
close up image of wall shelf with hooks prior to being painted
Step Four: Paint, then Attach Hooks
Finally, you’re ready to sand and paint the whole thing, then you’ll attach your hooks! I used these and I love them, but I wouldn’t recommend using them on this exact setup because, as you can see, they’re a little too big.
If I was doing it again, I’d either use a larger board for the back (a 1X10 would have been perfect!) or I’d just use smaller hooks.
Once your hooks are in place, it’s ready to be hung. I used a french cleat to hang mine, but you could also use some of these.
entry to a home with a white wall shelf with hooks, styled with art and a hat hanging on a hook
DIY entryway hooks
DIY wall shelf and hooks
I love that I can hide the AC control panel now, and I can’t even tell you how nice it is to have a spot to hang my stuff when I get home.
Sometimes the simplest projects are the most life-changing, right?
If you’ve been wanting to try building something and haven’t built up the courage, this is a perfect project to try it out on. It’s quick, easy, and super affordable.
Plus, I think it’s pretty adorable too.
I’m hoping to start bringing some more simple woodworking projects your way as I continue to stretch my building muscles. I’ve got another woodworking project for you coming up later this week, and I’m taking suggestions for what else I should try to build.
