It seems like having floating shelves in your home is a must nowadays. They are great to display décor and look really modern. The best part about building them yourself is that they are easy to make and much more affordable than buying them at the store. This guide will walk you through all of the steps needed to build floating shelves yourself.
· The best part about building floating shelves is how easy they are to build. If you have the right materials, you can get it done in a day.
The best part about building floating shelves is how easy they are to build! If you have the right materials, you can get it done in a day.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 pieces of ¾-inch plywood that are 3 feet wide and 4 feet long. (You can buy this at any hardware store.)
- 1 piece of ¾ inch plywood that’s 6 inches wide by 4 feet long (This will be used as a base.)
- A bottle of wood glue or construction adhesive (You can find this at most hardware stores.)
- 3 packages of 2-inch #8 screws with small washers to allow the screws to go through both the large and small pieces of wood without splitting them apart too much when tightened down further down onto each other later on after assembly has been completed for good measure
· Basic Tools and Supplies Needed
You will need:
- Wood glue and wood screws (for attaching the floating shelves to the wall)
- Drill or screwdriver
- Saw (a miter saw or table saw is best, but you can use a jigsaw if you don’t have a table saw)
- Tape measure and pencils for marking the plywood sheets. Be sure to check your measurements against your wall before cutting them down so you don’t end up with extra pieces that won’t fit anywhere. If possible, use a laser level for precise leveling of each shelf once it’s attached to the wall; otherwise, measure from one corner of each shelf back down its length until they’re all even with one another. Then place all four legs on top of them so they’re evenly spaced apart from one another as well. The legs should be placed at least 1/2″ away from either side so there’s enough room underneath without making them too small; if they are too large then there may be visible gaps between each floating panel which could lead […]. Once everything has been measured out correctly and marked down onto your plywood panels using some sharpie markers (or whatever writing utensil works best), we can start assembling our frames.
Step 1: Cut Lumber
The first step to building floating shelves is to cut the lumber to the desired length. You can use a miter saw or circular saw for this job. If you’re using a circular saw, make sure that it’s set up correctly and that your blade is sharp so that it cuts with minimal effort.
Once you have all of your lumber cut down to size, lay them out on a flat surface in order of size (largest at one end). With an accurate tape measurer or ruler, measure each piece and check them against their measurements in the plans provided by their supplier before moving on with any cuts.
Step 2: Sand the Shelf Pieces
In this step, you’ll sand the edges of your lumber, brackets and shelves. Sanding will remove any rough splinters or jagged edges. This will keep your hands safe as well as prevent any accidents with your newly-installed shelves.
- Sand the edges of your lumber with a fine grit (120-150 grit) sandpaper to smooth out rough surfaces. Be careful not to take off too much material in one area; if needed, stop sanding and move on to another part of the piece before moving back over what you already worked on.
- Sand down all four corners where they meet other pieces or join together by running an orbital sander over them from different sides until they are even with each other (this takes a bit more time than just using hand tools but is still very easy!). You can also use a large power drill if it has an attachment for drilling holes in wood (if not then stick with hand tools only). It’s important that these joints are nice and flat so that everything fits together nicely when we start assembling our boxes later on.
- If desired/needed: Round off sharp corners where boards meet each other at 90 degree angles (such as along edge). This isn’t necessary but sometimes makes things look nicer while making sure nothing gets chipped off during assembly later down line – especially if those chips could potentially fall into something harmful like food storage containers below.
Step 3: Attach the Brackets
- Attach the brackets to the shelves, wall and studs.
- Attach the brackets to the wall using lag screws and construction adhesive. Lag screws will go into each stud in your wall (you’ll need a stud finder to locate these) while construction adhesive will secure them in place on top of drywall or plasterboard.
- Test fit your floating shelves with their new bracket connections before you put any weight on them, just to make sure they’re level (there’s nothing worse than hanging something heavy off an unstable piece of furniture). If needed, adjust each shelf until it’s sitting evenly with its neighboring pieces.
Step 4: Add Finishing Touches
After you’ve sanded and stained or painted the floating shelves, it’s time to add finishing touches. Finishes can be used to protect the wood from moisture, add a protective layer to it, or just give it a decorative look. The choice of finish depends on what you want your shelf to do.
If you’re planning on storing books or photos that aren’t too valuable, acrylic lacquer should be enough of a barrier between them and any spills or other accidents that might occur in the kitchen. It also gives an almost glass-like sheen that will make your floating shelves shine.
Acrylic lacquer is easy to apply: just spray it on evenly with a paint sprayer (or use a brush) using long strokes in all directions over all parts of every surface except where they’ll be attached together (since you don’t want any solvents getting into those areas). Give each coat at least 24 hours before applying more coats—ideally 48 hours if possible—and then allow everything one last day before removing masking tape and letting everything dry out completely overnight before moving on with life as usual again
Building your own diy floating shelves is so easy and much more affordable than buying them at the store.
Building your own diy floating shelves is so easy and much more affordable than buying them at the store. All you need are two 2x4s, four brackets, wood screws and wood glue.
You’ll also need a drill to screw in the brackets, a steel square ruler (or any other straight edge) to mark off where you want your shelves to go and some sandpaper to smooth out all of your edges.
To start off, measure out on one of your 2x4s where each bracket will go with a steel square ruler or any other straight edge (I used my knee). Once they’re marked off measure down from the top edge at ¾” intervals in between each line you drew earlier until you reach 6″. Cut this piece off with a saw or miter saw then cut another piece for the bottom shelf as well (same measurements but lower).
Once both pieces are cut make sure there’s ½” overhang from each side towards the middle of each board; this will allow enough room for both ends when attaching them together later on
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to build your own floating shelves. Now it’s time for some fun part, decorating them with things you love. These shelves will give any room in your home extra storage space or a place to display beautiful photos and keepsakes. If you’re looking for something new, check out these 6 amazing DIY projects that will make any DIY lover happy
