How to Make a Swedish Wine Rack
When it comes to wine storage, a Swedish wine rack combines the best of both function and form, giving you ample storage capacity in a striking design known for its simplicity and elegance. Swedish wine racks are versatile enough to work well whether you have an extensive cellar or just need stable storage for a select few bottles as they age or await a special occasion. Whatever your specific needs, you can make an ideal Swedish wine rack using affordable materials, basic tools and moderate woodworking skill. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wood for rails and corners (1x4)
- Wood for spacers and supports (1x2)
- Wood for top (1x12)
- Wood screws
- Brads or finishing nails
- Tape measure
- Square
- Level
- Miter saw
- Steel corner brackets or rods (optional)
- Polyurethane or stain (optional)
Instructions
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1
Choose your dimensions. A Swedish wine rack is essentially a set of specialized shelves, so you can adjust the length and number of shelves to suit your needs. For example, a rack with six shelves wide enough for eight bottles apiece would hold four cases of wine. Every shelf would be 36 inches wide, based on allocating 2 inches for each of eight bottles (16 total), 2 inches for each of nine spacers (18 total), and an inch on either side (two total). The rack would be 43 inches tall (6 inches per shelf, 6 inches for legs and an inch for the top). You can add or subtract bottles and shelves as desired using these same component measurements.
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2
Prepare rails. The frame of each shelf will be a pair of parallel 1x4 rails with a 4-inch gap in between. Cut two rails per shelf to the length you chose in step 1.
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3
Prepare spacers. Spacers laid across the rails every two inches will separate your wine bottles and secure them in place. Prepare your spacers by trimming pieces of 1x2 wood to a length of 12 inches, and then cutting a 60-degree bevel into each long edge with a miter saw. For each shelf, you will need one more divider than the number of bottles the shelf will hold.
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4
Construct shelves. On a floor or worktable, align two rails in parallel, leaving a 4-inch gap between them. Lay out your spacers, beginning an inch in from each edge and distributing them evenly. You should end up with an even 2 inches between every set of spacers. Check the spacers with a carpenter's square to be sure they are perpendicular to the rails, and then use brads or finish nails to connect the spacers and rails.
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5
Prepare supports. Cut two 12-inch 1x2 supports for each shelf, plus two additional supports for the top.
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6
Prepare corners. Cut four corner struts out of 1x4 wood, basing the length on a formula of 6 inches per shelf, 6 inches for legs and an inch for the top.
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7
Construct sides. Anchor the supports to the corners using wood screws. The result will look like two ladders, with the supports for rungs at 6-inch intervals. Measure an inch from the top, screw in your top support, measure 6 inches from its bottom to place the support below and repeat until both sides are finished. Use a level and square to check your alignment before attaching each support.
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8
Connect shelves. One by one, place each shelf onto the two ladders, check their alignment with a level and square and then connect them to the corners and supports using brads or finish nails.
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9
Connect top. Trim a 1x12 piece of wood to the length of your shelves, set it on the uppermost supports, and connect it to the corners and supports using brads or finish nails.
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Tips & Warnings
You can apply one ore more coats of polyurethane or stain to the wood to enhance the durability and beauty of your wine rack.
At each step, take a moment to draw what you'll be working on; double-check your dimensions; measure and mark each piece of wood before cutting; and lay out pieces and check their alignment with a level or square before you nail or screw them together. If your plan includes numerous or wide shelves, consider adding metal support rods or corner brackets to strengthen your shelves and make the entire rack sturdier.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jeff Kubina: Flickr.com
