How to Build Cheap Storage Shelves
Storage shelves can cost more than you'd expect -- more than $100 in 2010 for a simple rubber unit. However, you can build your own shelves cheaply with basic lumber that may be lying around your house. Give yourself an hour for this project once you've gathered your supplies. These shelves are appropriate for even beginning do-it-yourselfers, although you might want to call in help if the shelves will be in a high-visibility area. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 4 wood beams, 2 inches by 2 inches, 4 to 9 inches long
- 1 wood board, 1 inch by 12 inches by about 32 inches
- 1 piece of scrap wood, minimum 4 inches on a side
- Power saw
- Power drill
- 8 screws, 3 to 4 inches long
- 4 screws, 1 to 2 inches long
- Level
Instructions
-
Build the Brackets
-
1
Cut the piece of scrap wood in half on the diagonal, forming two right triangles.
-
2
Take two pieces of 2"-by-2" lumber and arrange them in an L, with the end of the shorter piece abutting the inner edge of the longer. Screw in place with two long wood screws at the corner. You now have the skeleton of a bracket that will hold your shelf in place.
-
-
3
Set one triangle in the bracket, aligning the triangle's perpendicular edges within the corner of the bracket. Screw in place, using one shorter screw along each edge. This triangle provides support for the bracket. Without it, weight on the top arm of the bracket can pull it loose.
-
4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the other two pieces of 2"-by-2."
Complete the Shelves
-
5
Locate two wall studs where you want to hang your shelf. Standard spacing between studs is 16 inches on center, meaning that the center of two wall studs is 16 inches from each stud.
-
6
Mount one bracket to one of the wall studs, using two wood screws. Mount it so that the shorter bracket arm is perpendicular to the wall. Your shelf will rest upon this arm.
-
7
Mount the other bracket to the adjacent stud. Use the level to make sure the top of this bracket is even with the top of the first.
-
8
Set the wooden plank on top of your brackets to form the shelf. You can screw it into place, but in most cases, the weight of the board and whatever you store on it will hold the shelf in place.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You may be able to obtain scrap wood for free at local construction projects, where contractors simply throw away wastage. Contractors are often happy to reduce their trash-hauling costs by even a little bit.
