How to make shelves with your own hands - the choice of type and material, master classes on creation, photo ideas

What kind of shelves are there?

Shelves are classified according to several characteristics.

According to the type of construction they can be:

• open,
• closed.

Depending on the installation option are:

• wall-mounted,
• floor-standing,
• hanging shelves.

Traditional shelves, which are mounted on the wall, can be single or consist of several elements. Complex wall shelves, assembled into a single interior composition of several parts, are called modules.

Corner shelves are always attached to two adjacent walls. They can occupy both inner and outer corner.

Suspended shelves differ from the other types by their vertical attachment. Usually they are fixed to the ceiling, to pipes going to the top of the wall. Such shelves, as a rule, have a lightweight design and have no walls. They are fixed by means of poles, ropes, belts, chains.

A floor shelf with a height of more than a meter is called a rack. Shelves that are on the floor can be supplemented with wheels for convenience.

Materials for making shelves

Depending on the materials used, we can distinguish:

• wooden,
• glass,
• metal,
• plastic shelves.

Wooden shelves

For a wooden shelf you can use solid wood and its derivatives:

• plywood,
• CHIPBOARD,
• MDF.

Working with these materials is not very difficult, and with proper processing the shelves turn out to be practical, comfortable and durable products.

Glass shelves

Items made of glass look stylish and give the interior a special atmosphere due to their lightness. It is not very easy to make a glass shelf and special attention must be paid to the cut edges. Glass shelves require additional care and competent load distribution.

Metal shelves

From this material are original and durable structures, but these shelves are more difficult to fit into the interior of the usual home. In addition, due to the nature of metal, the product requires mandatory surface treatment to avoid corrosion and the room where there is no high humidity.

Plastic shelves

Plastic is an easy to work with and convenient material from which you can make interesting shelf options.

In addition, if you are creative, you can use various household items or improvised materials to make unusual shelves. For example, old books, suitcases, various storage containers. An important condition for success in such an application of unusual materials is to match the design of the shelf and the overall style of the room.

There are a lot of ideas for creating shelves with your own hands. The advantage of a homemade shelf is that it can be made as convenient as possible and organically fit into the home interior.

With what to start the work?

First of all, it is necessary to think about the purpose and location of future shelves.

For small items it is reasonable to make a neat light shelves or modular system, united by one style solution.

If you need to store large or weighty items, it is important to correctly calculate the dimensions of the shelves and their strength. Shelves for books should be strong enough and have a secure attachment, for example.

The shelf is part of the interior and can be decorated in any style. To this simple piece of furniture organically complemented the design of the room, you need to think about the appearance of the shelf and the material from which it will be made.

Unpretentious wooden construction will be a good addition to the kitchen interior and the room, decorated in folk style.

Bright colors for a homemade shelf are acceptable only in the presence of similar color accents in the design of the room.

A good visual effect is created by shelves, the color of which is combined with the general tone of the walls or furniture.

The shelf is an important part of the interior, for this reason, its appearance is very important to think in advance.

In addition, you should seriously consider the choice of location of the shelf, decide on the option of fixing it.

Shelves are usually fixed with the help of metal furniture strips with slots.

Taking into account all the nuances it is necessary to draw a sketch of the future shelf, make careful measurements, calculate the overall dimensions of the product and make a competent drawing.

Drawing

No matter how simple the model of the conceived shelf may seem, it is necessary to spend time on the performance of drawing work.

This work will help to correctly calculate both the size of the future construction, and material consumption.

When making a drawing, you should additionally think about the functional features of the design. The shelf must be strong enough to withstand the future load.

Support elements are placed taking into account the peculiarities of the material. The maximum step between the supports in any case should not be more than 90 cm. The thinner and softer the material from which the parts of the shelf will be made, the smaller the distance between the supporting elements.

Careful preparatory work will allow you to avoid annoying mistakes in the work of self-made home shelf.

How to make a bookshelf by yourself?

Bookshelf is one of the most popular options for homemade wooden shelves. It fits seamlessly into the interior of a small room, it is convenient and practical. Wood is an uncomplicated material to work with, and shelves made of it are practical, comfortable, durable and easy to fit into any interior.

Classic wall shelf

One of the classic designs will be a shelf with three cells measuring 100 * 40 cm. The design provides for a small upper rim with a height of 10 cm for additional placement of a number of books.

For work it is necessary to pripasti:

• jigsaw,
• sanding machine or emery cloth,
• a drill, screwdriver or screwdrivers,
• screws or self-tapping screws,
• angle piece,
• brush,
• varnish for wooden surfaces.

Calculation of the dimensions of parts is made for a board with a thickness of 2 cm.

Step by step instruction

First of all, it is necessary to saw out 2 parts long:

• 50 cm,
• 96 cm,
• 26 cm.

Then proceed to work.

1. The wooden parts of the future shelf should be treated with a grinder or sanded.
2. The assembly begins with the lower part, which is fixed in the side walls at a distance of 1 cm from the edge. This way the product will look more interesting. Fastening is performed with self-tapping screws.
3. On the inside of the fixed base of the shelf, it is necessary to mark the places of attachment of additional supports. With the same size of cells, the step will be 32 cm from the side wall on each side.
4. Fix the inner walls to the base strictly at right angles.
5. Fix the top lintel of the shelf.
6. If the design does not include a back wall, it is recommended to strengthen the shelf with metal corners.
7. The shelf is treated with stain, dried and varnished. Varnishing is usually done in 3 stages with an interval of 12 to 48 hours to dry the surface.

Taking this option as a basis, you can make a bookshelf by yourself.

Corner shelf

This version of the shelf involves fixing the product to two adjacent walls at once.

For the inner corner you can make a simple construction of slats, connecting them 2 or 3 curly bases, located above each other.

For a shelf with several levels, it is convenient to make small, shaped frames out of slats. To these frames and fasten shelves.

The shelves themselves can be sawed from plywood or parts of old furniture.

The front cut can be closed with a shaped lath.

For decorating the protruding outer corner, a simple design of several small open shelves, located with a slight offset relative to each other, will do well.

Photos, diagrams and drawings of various options for shelves made of wood can be found on thematic sites.

Shelf in the form of a honeycomb

The shelf, decorated in the form of a honeycomb, looks original. To make such a variant it will be necessary to saw a board at an angle of 60 degrees.

To make the conceived construction, you will need 6 planks of the same size for each hexagonal element.

The cuts should be processed with a sandpaper. Connect them with carpenter's glue, then reinforce the construction with metal staples.

Each hexagon is made separately, painted and varnished. Then they are attached to the wall, forming a module of them. This type of shelf looks very interesting.

Suspended shelf rack

It is not difficult to make with your own hands a shelf of suspended design, which looks like a vintage bookcase.

To do this, you need to prepare three wooden blanks of the same size. Use a feather drill to make holes in them with a diameter slightly larger than the rope or cord that will fasten the elements.

The boards are painted in the desired color and varnished. Then connect by passing through the holes folded in half cord. Fix the elements of the knots, which are tied two for each element with a step of about 30 cm. With these double knots, each shelf is securely fastened. From below the cord can be slightly unraveled, forming tassels.

Such a shelf looks good in a child's room or in the bathroom.

With your own hands you can make an original and convenient shelf, which will fully meet all individual requirements and will perfectly fit into the interior. The work does not require much experience and serious financial investment.

Beautiful photo ideas of homemade shelves