Knowing how to make a shelf with your own hands is a useful and necessary skill, because a shelf is the simplest item among all the furniture. To create it, you do not need to have any special skills. The most important thing is to do everything moderately and accurately.
There are a large number of different models of shelves, depending on their size, method or installation location. For example, they can be suspended, floor or wall. If the floor shelves are distinguished by their high height, which exceeds one meter, then the design can be called a rack. Suspended structures often play a decorative role. For example, they can be hung on a pipe or on a specially placed bracket. This type is distinguished by its popularity in places where heating pipes are located under the ceiling. Thus, they are as if asking themselves to be attached to something. Various shelves in the bathroom or kitchen are often hung on pipes, this is extremely convenient.
Which are there?
Before you learn how to make a shelf with your own hands, you need to understand their large variety. They are created from wood, plywood, laminated particleboard, plexiglass and other things. The racks can use the same materials, but they can be made of plastic, metal, as well as other unpredictable things, such as bottles or pipes.
How to make a shelf on the wall with your own hands for a living room? You can choose different material as the main one. The most important thing is to think over the appearance of the product so that it fits into the general interior of the room and complements it. Even the functionality of the shelf is not always paramount if it does not fit in its appearance. Such a shelf should add to the interior of the room a special flavor and sense of taste of the owners.
If you want to make shelves with your own hands for a technical room, such as a bathroom or kitchen, then the condition regarding practical application is also added to the aesthetic component. Even if it is a decorative shelf in the kitchen, it should be simple and easy to clean.
Shelves in the bathroom are even more serious requirements: there is often high humidity, so you need to use materials that will easily withstand such an impact. It is worth noting that there are not many similar ones.
Alternatively, you can use plastic or stainless steel. A bathroom shelf is also made of MDF, but it is fully used only with good ventilation in the room. Even if you do not know how to make shelves in the pantry with your own hands, then thanks to a simple instruction you will succeed quickly, regardless of the material chosen.
What are they made of?
It is worth saying that a variety of material is used to complete the product, of course, within reason. Using bulky and heavy materials such as bricks will in fact not be appropriate. After all, this additionally takes up free space indoors. Nevertheless, any of the relatively suitable materials for the task can be used:
- Tree. This is the standard option, because most often people use it. Working with such material is extremely simple, since it weighs very little and differs in small dimensions. Products also have a long service life, however, this applies to cases where the room is predominantly at a normal level of humidity and good ventilation.
- Glass. Such shelves are distinguished by their modern and attractive appearance and in reality will never go out of style. How to make a bookshelf with your own hands from such material? For manufacturing, you must have special tools for cutting glass.
- Plastic. It is a relatively affordable material, it is very easy to handle and does not suffer from mold, unlike wood. This is especially important if the shelves are made for installation on the loggias or on the balcony.
- Metal. To work with such a material, you must have a welding machine if you want to make a shelf entirely of metal. If you make shelves with your own hands of a combined type, then you need to use a classic set for fasteners. It is best that such areas are not visible from the outside.
- Particleboard (or alternatively to chipboard). The second option is distinguished by its resistance to wear, as well as against increased moisture. It does not give in to the influence of significant temperature changes, which often happens in the bathroom, as well as to mechanical damage, like erasure.
- Drywall. Such material is used in cases where the shelf will be part of the interior of the room. It is understood that a niche is formed from this material inside the wall. How to make a drywall shelf with your own hands? Let's find out.
The final choice of material is determined not only by your budget, but also by the construction skills that you possess. If you approach the work without the proper skill or experience, you can simply spoil the material and not get the desired quality. The product as a result will be sloppy, unattractive, and it can hardly be used with security. Moreover, hang in a prominent open space.
Shelf on the wall
How to make a wooden shelf with your own hands? You must also decide on a suitable place. Each room has a site that simply asks to be hung on it. Most often, modern furniture occupies only the lower part: these are sofas, armchairs, couches or tables. The upper one is always empty, due to which a mismatch can form: the loaded lower part of the room and the almost empty upper one. It is such voids that need to be filled with beautiful shelves.
Corner shelves are the perfect solution! Structurally, most of these shelves consist of jumpers and small platforms. However, these components are combined into so many different options that it is difficult to count. Do it yourself will be easier to make such a shelf. The main thing is to believe in yourself, even if you do not know how to make a shelf on the wall with your own hands.
With what and what needs to be fixed?
To make a shelf in the pantry with your own hands, it is very important to choose the right hardware. The reliability of this design largely depends on the type of mount. Not only should it be durable, reliable and stable, it should also fit into the overall design of the product.
Classic loops
How to make a shelf in the garage with your own hands? The classic method is to loop. It can be used for wood, and for fiberboard, and for many other materials, which differ in sufficient thickness. You can screw them with screws on the side. Between the centers of the holes of the loops it is necessary to measure the distance, put it on the wall, while carefully monitor the horizontal. At the marked points, you need to make holes for the dowels, place them there, and then screw them with a nail with a small hat that will go into the loop or bracket (this is such a pin, bent up). After you can hang a shelf on it.
However, not every material can be drilled freely. For example, a glass shelf. It definitely does not lend itself to any screwing. For glass shelves, special fasteners are selected, which consist of two components, between which glass is placed. Most often, an elastic gasket is placed between such holders. There is a small screw on the bottom of the fastener to press it against the shelf for a secure fit.
Fixture for a glass shelf
The most popular type of attachment for a glass shelf is the Pelican. He got his name thanks to a peculiar form. It looks very good, especially since there are several variations of its color. The thickness of the glass that it can hold without problems varies from 8 to 34 mm. It is used not only for glass, but also for any other material that has the required thickness, but with glass it looks most attractive.
How to make a shelf with your own hands? To create a product from glass is very simple. You need to buy a suitable mount, in a special workshop order glass of the required size and shape. Parts of the material must certainly be with processed edges, so as not to damage themselves accidentally. Then you just need to put everything together:
- Attach the “pelican” to the wall with two dowels. Composite housing. The decorative cover must be removed, there are two holes inside the mounting plate: one is located in the case above, the other a little lower. Securely fasten and replace the decorative trim.
- Place the glass.
- Tighten the screws. And that’s it - your shelf is ready.
There are other types of fasteners for glass shelves. However, this is most popular due to its simplicity and beauty.
Decorative bracket
Another type of mount is the bracket. It is distinguished by its reliability, and some even look very attractive. And so much so that they can be an independent decoration.
Concealed mount or shelves without support
This is one of the most amazing mounting fixtures. How to make a bookshelf with your own hands this way? Concealed mounting eliminates the visibility of fasteners. Inside the end face, a seat for the pin is cut out, and the holder body with a shelf is simply worn over it. From the side it will seem as if a wooden shelf or a piece of glass is floating in the air, it is not clear why holding on to the wall. This is the easiest mounting option using flush mounting. If you have imagination and ideas, be sure to use them.
How to make corner shelves with your own hands? You can use the presented scheme, it will certainly work successfully!
Various shelf designs
There are a lot of options for how to make a shelf with your own hands. You just need to decide what exactly you need from her.
DIY honeycomb shelf
An excellent complement to the custom design of the room will be an attractive shelf made in the form of honeycombs. Such a fashionable and stylish design can be assembled from a hex module. Thus, you will get an original geometric composition. Each person can lay out the blocks in the form and form that he thinks up for himself.
Despite their non-standard appearance, such blocks are very convenient and distinguished by their functionality. Moreover, they are very strong and stable. To make such a shelf with your own hands, you need to have a standard set of tools that are available in almost every home, as well as simple blanks from rectangular boards.
A similar design is assembled from ready-made and assembled honeycombs in different ways:
- attached to the wall each separately;
- First, all the modules are assembled together, and only then the whole system is mounted on the wall.
The second method, of course, is much more practical, because between the individual elements dust and dirt will not accumulate. In order for you to get the right hexagon, the boards for the future shelf need to be cut strictly at an angle of 30 °. Check several times so that they are the same size, and only then start collecting your shapes. Do it on the floor, it will be easier.
The elements of the block must be perfectly fitted to each other, only after that the boards are glued together. To do this, you can take the standard wood glue. Mounting points for greater reliability can be strengthened using L-shaped holders or screws. Staples can be very easily hidden if you paint them in the same shade as the shelf itself.
In the same way, do all the other cells. The resulting module must be very carefully sanded. After that, treat it with a stain and go through a special varnish. Or you can paint it. The shelf will look very unusual and interesting if each hexagon is painted differently. That's all, then fold the finished block, drill a few holes where the connections will be, and fasten them together. Now you know how to make shelves with your own hands in the pantry or hall, so that they are both attractive and useful.
How to make a round shelf?
The round shape for the shelf is a very unusual and original solution for those people who are not particularly interested in how to place as many things as possible. If you do not want to save space, but strive to beautifully and originally decorate your interior, this option is for you. Making shelves for books with your own hands will be very simple. You are guaranteed success if you select the right material from which the shelf will be created, and also accurately and scrupulously make all the calculations for your parts.
The most affordable material by which the shelf is made is fiberboard. Sheets of material are very durable and easy to bend, which is an advantage. Two strips of a given length are cut from it. In parallel, you need to prepare another board of the required length, which will be placed in the center. As you understand, all parts must have the same width.
What is worth saying about the length of the strips? If you look at the shelf from a geometric point of view, then the central shelf will be the diameter of the outer contour of the future circle. The stripes, as you can understand, will be half the length of the contour, so they are dependent on each other and combined by geometric formulas. If you do not know how to correctly calculate all sizes, it is best to contact professionals. They will help you with drawings, calculations and material processing.
Let's move on to assembling our shelves. On the fiberboard sheet, you need to step back a little overlap from the end side and place the necessary markings on the strips. Then proceed to the formation of a circle. The edges of the strips should be pointed to each other in exact accordance with the marking and fixed using a clamp. Be careful that your material does not burst or crack. Stripes need to be bent very slowly, free edges overlap each other. Before you finally fix all the components with screws, you need to make sure that they have been correctly fitted:
- Check how your central shelf rises correctly. It should be noted that if you made the correct calculations, then there will not even be a problem with this.
- Install vertically, if necessary for your design, the partition, providing for this the required bevel angle. An excellent solution would be to periodically check them for perpendicularity during operation. For this you can use a regular square.
Our shelf is almost ready. It is only necessary to decorate it: cover with paint, varnish or other compositions for decoration. You can fasten the shelf with furniture eyes using screws that were screwed into the wall.
Hanging shelf for home
How to make bookshelves with your own hands so that they do not occupy excess space, but are spacious enough? One of the possible options that will help you in this situation is the suspension structure.
For this we need:
- Make a simple project on paper that takes into account the number and size of shelves, as well as the distance between them.
- Decide exactly where you will hang your shelf, and also at what height the mounts will be placed.
The work takes place in two stages: shelf assembly and mounting fastening.
First, shelves are prepared that were sawn to the specified size. At their edges, you must first make holes. To make them the same, many experts advise using a special template from a bar made of hardwood, on which the necessary holes with the correct diameter will already be made. Just press such a template to the board with the edge. You can use a clamp for fixing. Make the two required holes, however, punch them not to the end, but to about the middle of the thickness. After that, cuts are made on the boards from the center of the hole at right angles, which go to the long side. Shelves need to be processed with sandpaper and finished. For example, you can paint them in a suitable color for the interior or already varnish.
Now the product is almost completely ready. You just need to hang. Reliability in such cases is no less important indicator than the aesthetic appearance. , . . , .
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From examples of photo shelves made by yourself, you can draw your inspiration for successful work.