How to Build Wood Shelves in a Walk in Closet
A set of shelves can turn a cluttered and overfull walk-in closet into an organized, pleasant-feeling space. You can spend a pile of money on a premanufactured shelf unit, or you can build your own at a fraction of the cost. The good news about building your own closet shelves is that it's forgiving: Nobody ever has to see your mistakes. Set aside an afternoon for this project, which is suitable for beginner and novice woodworkers. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Wooden strips, 1 inch by 1/2 inch
- Wooden planks, 1 inch by 18 inches
- Power saw
- Sandpaper
- Paint Brush
- Paint
- Level
- Nail gun
- Stud finder
Instructions
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Preparing the Lumber
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1
Choose which wall of your walk-in closet you want to cover with shelves. Measure the wall's width.
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2
Cut one wooden strip and one wooden plank to match the width you measured in step one. Cut two wooden strips to a length of 18 inches.
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3
Sand all faces of your lumber.
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4
Repeat steps two and three for each shelf. For best results, build one shelf for every 12 to 18 inches.
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5
Paint your cut lumber with a paint that matches or nicely accents the color of your closet wall. Wait for it to dry.
Installing Shelves
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6
Set one of your custom-cut strips against the wall you want to cover. Set it at an appropriate height, using your level to set it parallel to the ground. Attach it to the wall with one nail at each corner.
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7
Set up the 18-inch strips on either end of the strip you just mounted. Set them running along the perpendicular walls, level with the mounted strip. Attach them to the wall with one nail at each corner.
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8
Repeat steps one and two for the other shelves you want to build.
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9
Locate the wall studs in the part of your closet you've covered with strips. Mark their position with a pencil.
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10
Reinforce your strip mounting by driving a nail through every strip at each point where they cross a wall stud.
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11
Set a plank in place so it lays on top of each of your strip brackets. You won't need to attach the plank to the strips. Friction and gravity will keep it in place.
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