EASY DIY FLOATING SHELVES
For those of you who follow us on social media, you have seen the gradual face lift I’ve given to both my kids rooms. After installing some Beadboard Wainscoting as well as some decorations such as the Painted Rustic Shiplap Sign There was still wall space that needed a little something to fill some empty space. It was the perfect place for some simple DIY floating shelves. I really wanted to make floating shelves that were simple construction, sturdy and utilized the mountain of scrap material I have accumulated over the past year. I could not be more pleased with how these turned out. This design is a great beginner project anyone can complete with a few simple tools. Free plans for this build will be available for download.
Video of this build can be found on our YouTube Channel
Let’s get started!
Tools & Materials List:
- Compound Miter saw
- Pneumatic Nail Gun (or Brad Nails & Hammer)
- Wood Glue
- CA Glue
- CA Glue Activator
- Cordless Drill
- Table Saw
- Sand Paper
- Joint Compound
- Putty Knife
- Paint
- Paint Brush
- Crown Molding
- 3/4″ thick material (We used various scrap material including both Plywood and scrap pine boards)
Step 1: Cut Crown Molding
If you are unfamiliar with how to cut crown molding start by experimenting with cutting some of the compound angles needed to form an outside corner. Check out this video from this old house to get you started. Since these shelves will be painted it is not critical to be as precise with the miter cuts. Almost any mistake or nail hole can be fixed with some simple joint compound. Cut your 3 pieces of crown molding leaving your side pieces a little long. Once you determine how deep you want your shelfs to be you can set your miter saw to cut a straight 90 degree and use a stop block to trim left and right sections to be the exact same size.
Step 2: Assemble the Frame
Once you have cut all your crown molding to size you can begin assembling the pieces into a 3 sided frame. To hold each miter joint together we used CA Glue on one surface and CA Glue activator on the other. Once the two pieces touch the glue will harden within seconds. This is not a very strong joint but once the top and bottom are attached with glue and nails the shelf will have all the strength it needs.
Step 3: Cut Top and Bottom Pieces to Size
Making straight cuts is much less prone to mistakes than cutting compound miters. It’s also easier to sneak up on a straight cut. Once you have assembled the crown molding frame it will provide you with the exact measurements for your top and bottom pieces. For this design we attached the bottom piece inside the crown molding (as seen in the video) and rested the top piece on top of the crown molding. This orientation gave us the most contact with the crown molding and provided us with the look we wanted. Cut your 3/4″ material to the exact width on the table saw and proper length on the miter saw.
Step 4: Attach Top and Bottom Pieces
Set your top piece flat upside down on your workbench. Rest the crown molding frame completed in step 2 upside down on the top piece. Run a bead of glue between the crown molding and the top piece then add a few 3/4″ – 1″ brad nails around the perimeter
Holding the bottom piece in place drive some brad nails through the crown molding into the bottom piece.
Step 5: Patch holes
Using a putty knife fill any nail holes and cover any cracks with joint compound. This is your opportunity to cover any mistakes
.
Step 6: Sand
Once the joint compound has dried sand all sides of the floating shelf smooth.
Step 7: Paint
Painting bare wood may take a few extra coats to get uniform coverage. After the first coat examine the shelf for any missed nail holes. If there are any cracks or nail holes repeat step 5 and 6.
Step 8: Cut Wall Bracket
After the paint has dried measure the distance between the top and bottom pieces to determine how thick your wall bracket will need to be. Cut some simple dimensional lumber to the proper thickness at the table saw. Using the miter saw cut the pieces to the correct length.
Step 9: Install Wall Bracket
To properly secure the bracket to the wall it is best to find a stud for at least one of the screws. Once you have attached the wall bracket into a stud with only 1 screw measure the distance from the ceiling to the bracket just above that screw. With the bracket free to pivot on the one screw you can ensure it is level by moving other side of the bracket up or down to match the same distance from the ceiling. Holding the bracket level drive the second screw through the bracket and into the wall.
Step 10: Mount Floating Shelf
At this point all the hard work is complete. All that remains is to slide the floating shelf over the wall bracket and using some trim head screws screw through the top of the floating shelf into the wall bracket.
Build Dimensions
