How to Mount a Shelf in Drywall

So you want to know how to mount a shelf into drywall. We all need places to keep things such as books or knick-knacks, but bookshelves can be expensive, and they take up a lot of space. What to do if you want a shelf over your television? You will need to install it into a wall. While the ideal would be to mount it into the wall studs, this isn't always possible. This article will instruct you how to mount a shelf into your drywall so that it will stay up on its own and be able to support weight.

Things You'll Need

• Shelf
• Two shelf supports
• Four wood screws
• Four plastic drywall anchors
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Tape measure
• Level
• Pencil
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Draw a line on the wall where you will be mounting your shelf. Use the level, and draw a straight, level line with your pencil.

2. Determine where you will be placing your shelf supports. If you have a pre-fab shelf, this is already determined, and you will simply need to measure it out. If you're building your own, you'll want to place them about 15 percent of the way in from the edges. Mark where you will need to drill your holes with the pencil.

3. Drill holes to install the shelving supports. You will want to make sure to keep the holes a touch smaller than the actual size of the screw; this will make your screw sturdier.

4. Insert a plastic wall anchor into each of your screw holes. Be careful not to bend the anchor, but push it into the hole as far as you can with your thumb. Once you get stuck, tap it lightly with the hammer until it goes all the way in.

5. Install your shelf supports. Line up the holes with your four plastic anchors, and screw in the screws as tightly as possible.

6. Put the shelf onto the shelving supports. If it is a pre-fab shelf, it might slide right on. If not, you can simply set it there, or install a couple of small screws through the bottom of the supports into the shelf to hold it in place.