Floating shelves are gorgeous, aren’t they? A set can really make a room look polished, but having them installed costs major money! If you want to skip the expense and do it yourself, no one would blame you. Fortunately, floating shelves are a great beginner DIY project, and there are several methods of getting them up for anyone who wants to give it a try!
Below are three methods I love for getting floating shelves up on your walls, starting with the traditional method for those who have a little know-how, all the way to DIY floating shelves for those of us who don’t have a clue where to start.
The Traditional Method
Installing a floating shelf the traditional way may sound complicated, but it’s really not as hard as you might think! It can be done many different ways, but the basic premise is to create a long, rectangular box with only three sides, leaving the side facing the wall open. Then you’ll create a wooden framework, find the studs in the wall with a stud finder, and attach a wooden framework there. The box you made slides onto the framework, and you have your floating shelves!
This method can get tricky, so I don’t advise trying it without an advanced tutorial. If you want some advice from professionals who have built some gorgeous floating shelves in their homes, Google and YouTube have the answers lol.
The Kinda-Cheating Method
Also known as the Hollow Core Door method, this DIY is a little bit similar to the first, in that you’ll still need to use a stud finder to attach a framework to the wall, but instead of building your own shelf, you seek out a hollow core door and have it cut down the middle. This is especially useful if you need very long shelves, aren’t comfortable with woodworking, or just want to reuse what you can find at a thrift shop or the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
The I-Only-Look-Like-I-Know-What-I'm-Doing Method
Look, I get it. Some of us are totally afraid of tools or have no idea what to do with them. I just happen to be one of those people. Maybe you’re afraid of damaging your walls, don’t have access to the tools required to make a floating shelf, or don’t have the time to build one. If that’s the case, don’t worry! There’s an option for you, too, and we can call it our little secret.
For less than $40, you can buy a shelf kit that comes with everything you need on Amazon, including a level and the adhesive to stick it to the wall, and have your floating shelf up in less than five minutes! No mess, no holes in the wall, and stylish-looking storage that only looks like you had to spend megabucks on it!
Which one are you going to try? Let me know in the comments below!