- Take an old door and remove a 2-foot section off the bottom, cutting the remaining large piece in half. Next, cut the piece of scrap wood the same height as the two door halves. Drill screws through the scrap piece and through each door side to connect them perpendicular to each other. To make shelving, cut more scrap wood into triangular shapes matching the cabinet's dimensions. Make sure you space the shelves evenly, so the bottom shelf is at least 2 inches from the floor, and secure the shelves to the door halves with nails. You can also nail two pieces of decorative molding at the top before applying a coat of primer to the entire piece, followed by a color wash, as desired.
- Cut 1-by-12-inch wood or fiberboard to the desired length for your shelves. Using a carpenter's level, mark where the shelves will go on your wall. Next, paint the shelves and some mounting brackets with white acrylic paint (or whichever color you wish) and allow to dry. Note that you can color the edges of the shelves a different color for effect. Next, mount the brackets over your marks on the wall and then simply place the shelves on top of the brackets.
- Collect several wood boxes of various sizes from flea markets, garage sales or building supply stores. Sand the outside surfaces of all the boxes and then wipe them down with a tack cloth. Paint the boxes with one color or a variety of colors, using two coats, allowing to dry between coats. Next, glue coordinating fabric or paper to the inside backs of each box. To mount your box shelves, attach sawtooth picture hangers to the boxes in back and hang the boxes from nails attached to the wall. Note that since nails can come loose or tear out of drywall, look for 3 1/2-inch-long mega sawtooth hangers made from heavy 14-gauge steel that can hold up to 100 lbs.
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Take an old screen door and replace the existing screen with heavy-gauge wire mesh, then suspend the door from the kitchen ceiling using metal chains. This can be used as a pot rack or for storing other lightweight items.
Take old wire or plastic milk crates and attach them to the wall with nails drilled into wall studs. You can also hang an old window shutter on the wall and use for organizing bills or other papers in the slots, or use one with wider spaces between the shutter panes for holding magazines and catalogs.
Create shelves by hanging three nesting wicker baskets. Cut four 2-yard lengths of cord and tie one to each corner of the largest basket. About 12 inches up on each cord, tie a small overhand knot and slip the ends through the corners of the medium-sized basket until the knots rest on the basket rim, securing by slipping the cords through the holes. Repeat the procedure for the smallest basket. To mount, screw in a cup hook at the desired height on a wall. Then tie the cords together and loop over the hook, so the baskets lie flat on the wall. Finish by tying cords together near the ends and trimming any excess.
