Wall shelves are an integral part of the interior of any home, apartment or office. They are appropriate everywhere - in the kitchen, and in the bathroom, and even in the garage. They are functional and ergonomic, many show off beautiful decor items or even themselves, and why not? The shelf is not only an exhibition surface, but often a home decoration. Shelves are completely different: tiny and huge, elegant and massive, inconspicuous and catchy.
The interior of the premises requires the harmonious presence of additional items in it. Therefore, such furniture items are often bought ready-made or made to order. Shelves can be made from a variety of materials: wood, plastic, glass or metal. In general, any at the request of the designer or the owner of the house. The shelves, in addition to all the functional qualities, have another nice feature. Most of them have a simple design, so making shelves on the wall with your own hands is quite simple.
Before you start
Shelves can be made from a variety of materials, so each craftsman must take into account his strengths and capabilities. The easiest way to make such an elementwood furniture. It is easy to work with it, it is quite strong and durable. After that, you can sand and varnish, cover with any suitable material or just paint the shelf, it's a matter of imagination. If you know how to use carpenter's tools a little bit, and you have the material suitable for craftsmanship, then you may well make shelves on the wall with your own hands.
Before starting work, think about how you would like to see your shelves, how you arrange them, what their sizes will be. Evaluate the possibilities of the walls of the room. If this is a solid stone house - excellent, but if the walls are thin and made of drywall, then a weighty shelf can hardly be placed on them. In such a situation, it would be advisable to make several small shelves and randomly place them on the wall. Shelves must always be strong and reliable, often containing items that far exceed the previously planned weight.
How to attach shelves to the wall
It is not difficult to hang shelves on the wall with your own hands, the main thing is to choose the right fasteners. One of the most practical is the dowel, it is reliable and much stronger than nails, self-tapping screws and other others. Dowels are different, so when buying, tell the seller about which wall you want to mount the product on and how much weight should be supported. The thickness and length of the dowel will depend on the size and weight of the shelf.
The butterfly dowel is perfect for plasterboard walls. It opens up a lot when untwisted and provides the best strength for walls made of this material. The best option is to find a profile in the wall on which drywall sheets are attached, and screw the dowel into it. Such a mount will withstand a good load and save you from possible troubles in the future.
Shelf options
There are a variety of options for shelves. Masters have already completed them with their own hands and share ideas on the network. You can borrow one of them or come up with your own. Shelves can resemble racks or be simple, single-tier, corner or consisting of several departments. If the shelf is made for the kitchen, it would be rational to supplement it with hooks or loops so that you can additionally place towels or potholders on it. Fantasize, because this is the author's work.
Corner shelf for comfort and beauty
A great option for saving space or arranging small gizmos is a corner shelf. It is easy and simple to make it with your own hands. To prepare for work, you will need to carefully measure the gap between the walls, make calculations and make a drawing on paper - a model of the future shelf. Stock up on the desired material, tools and boldly get down to business.
Making workshop
A small master class on how to make such a simple and unobtrusive corner shelf with your own hands. Photo and description below.
The shelf consists of three main parts. These are two holder strips and a plug-in surface. Make all measurements and calculations according to how big you want to make it. Draw the model on paper and only then transfer it to the material.
Make two planks of wood with an opening for the base. They will be connected by a lock, this connection option is very good. Often the walls do not correspond to an even angle of 90 degrees, and the lock will allow you to adjust the position of the planks and attach them tightly to the wall, without gaps.
Mark the wall and fix the brackets on it. The dowel caps should not stick out, the base of the shelf will be located in this place, and it should be inserted without obstacles. Make sure the planks are level.
Let's start with the basics. Transfer the pre-prepared model from paper to the material and cut it out. All irregularities and sharp edges of the planks and bases should be processed, let the transitions be smooth. Now you can try on the finished base for the shelf by inserting it into the space between the slats. The DIY corner shelf is ready!
For home library
Every self-respecting home should have a bookshelf. And the larger and more majestic it is, the more respect guests will have for its owner, because knowledge is power. Yes, and the model of such a shelf should be strong enough and durable, books have considerable weight. You can simply knock down a few suitable boards together and fix it on the wall, or you can add various details, this will ennoble it and give it originality.
Let's meet another onean option on how to make shelves with your own hands (photo and description below). Such a universal version of the wall shelf will perfectly fit into any interior. It can be used to store books or any other things, or combine several interesting variations at once. Sturdy and durable, you can even place your dumbbell collection on it.
How to assemble such a shelf
You will need boards for shelves and under racks, metal cable, clamps for it, self-tapping screws, wall mounts and tools for woodworking. Make all the measurements and calculations on paper in advance to make a bookshelf with your own hands. Drawings can be changed depending on your wishes. The picture below will help you navigate the design of the product.
Assemble the wooden frame as shown in the drawing by connecting the parts with self-tapping screws. The bookshelf is almost ready, it remains to deal with the cable. Enter the cable into the pre-drilled holes in the shelves, after which it will need to be fixed from above and below with clamps. They will hold the shelves and add strength.
Align each shelf to a level and only then finally secure each side. The cable should not be stretched with a string, its task is to keep all the shelves at the same level and not allow them to balance. Only after you fasten all the fasteners and make sure that all structural elements are firmly and evenly fixed, you can cut off the excess cable under the bottom shelf andfix its end with a union nut.
Personal approach
Here are a few options on how you can make DIY wall shelves at no extra cost. Such a piece of furniture is purely individual for each house. It should be not only functional, but also beautiful. Perhaps you will have ideas for an original and extraordinary shelf that will emphasize the designer's taste and creative approach to the business of its owner.
