How Do You Build Simple Floating Shelves?
You can make these floating shelves from lightweight, inexpensive hollow-core doors. They’re perfect for displaying collectibles, photos, travel mementos or just about anything. These shelves are strong, too. While they’re not designed to hold your old set of Encyclopedia Britannicas, they’re certainly capable of it. • Recognize that each shelf is made from half of an 18-in. hollow-core door. Cut the door blank lengthwise after clamping a straightedge guide to the door. Be sure to use a 40-tooth carbide blade for a smooth cut. Don’t exceed 9 in. wide or you’ll start to weaken the cantilever strength of the shelf. • Cut a cleat to fit inside the door Measure the space between the outer veneers of the door and cut cleats from a 2×4 to this thickness. Make the cleats as long as the inside of the door. Use straight, dry lumber for cleats. • Trace the horizontal location for each shelf using a 4-ft. level as your guide. Use a stud finder to mark the locations of the studs and lightly press
If you are looking for a place to display photos, glassware, and figurines, then these easy-to-build floating shelves are for you. These shelves are called “floating shelves” because you can’t see the brackets or hardware that holds them up. The shelves are basically made of two pieces: a strip of lumber attached to the studs in a wall and a cut-to-size hollow door. Getting Ready Step 1 Gather the tools and materials you will need. Refer to the “Things You Need” list below. Step 2 Determine how many shelves you want, how long you want each shelf to be, and where you will put the shelves. Step 3 Use the stud finder to locate the studs on the wall. Mark them with a pencil or small pieces of painter’s tape (See the related article on “How to Locate Wall Studs”). Then mark the wall with a pencil line or strip of tape to determine the horizontal placement of each shelf. Making the Shelves Step 1 Cut the door in half lengthwise with a circular saw. Be sure to clamp a straightedge guide to th
If you are looking for a place to display photos, glassware, and figurines, then these easy-to-build floating shelves are for you. These shelves are called “floating shelves” because you can’t see the brackets or hardware that holds them up. The shelves are basically made of two pieces: a strip of lumber attached to the studs in a wall and a cut-to-size hollow door. Gather the tools and materials you will need. Refer to the “Things You Need” list below. Determine how many shelves you want, how long you want each shelf to be, and where you will put the shelves. Use the stud finder to locate the studs on the wall. Mark them with a pencil or small pieces of painter’s tape (See the related article on “How to Locate Wall Studs”). Then mark the wall with a pencil line or strip of tape to determine the horizontal placement of each shelf. Cut the door in half lengthwise with a circular saw. Be sure to clamp a straightedge guide to the door so your cut is straight. For shorter shelves, cut the
