Learn make simple single-shelf shelves.
If you want a single wall shelf and are in no need of a shelving unit, it's much easier and cheaper to make the shelf yourself than to hire a professional to make and install one. There are a profusion of decorative shelf brackets on the market as well, so if you are after an art deco look, try decorative cast-iron brackets, or use carved wooden brackets for a more traditional look. Once you have purchased your shelf brackets, the rest of the project is fairly simple. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Decide on the length of your shelf. Cut a shelf out of the sheet lumber to that length and approximately 1 to 2 inches wider than the lengths of the horizontal arm of the shelf bracket.
2. Sand the shelf, and then paint or stain it in the desired wood finish. Use long, even strokes that go with the grain of the wood for the best results.
3. Locate the studs in the wall where you want to install the shelf, using the stud finder.
4. Mark a level line across the wall at the desired height of the shelf, marking the stud locations on the line. Typically, studs are placed 16 inches apart.
5. Choose two or three studs that your shelf can evenly sit between, and place a bracket at each stud point, with the top of the bracket flush with the level line.
6. Secure the brackets to the wall with drywall screws going through the screw holes in the brackets into the studs.
7. Place the shelf top over the horizontal arms of the brackets. You can leave the shelf simply sitting on the brackets, or you can secure it with 1/2-inch wood screws through the screw holes in the horizontal arms of the brackets into the underside of the shelf.
Tags: your shelf, arms brackets, brackets into, horizontal arms, horizontal arms brackets
