Gotcha. I know you were all expecting the big shelves. But, they are up! Pictures and a post will be forthcoming later this week.
This little shelf has been up for a couple weeks now, and was built to hold our stash of reusable bags, though it’ll probably hold a further assortment of hanging stuff sooner or later. It was very easy to put together, but as with just about everything else lately, it was several weeks from start time to the time it was mounted.
I started with a simple poplar board (4′ long x 4″ wide x 1/2″ thick; the type of wood shouldn’t matter). From there, I cut two 20″ and two 4″ pieces. The two longer pieces were attached to form a back and a top using some wood glue and a couple small screws in the corners for some added stability. On the two smaller pieces, I traced a template for a rounded bracket, and cut them out with a jigsaw. We got a little fancy and routered a decorative edge onto the two brackets, and a rounded edge onto the top part of the shelf, but this isn’t necessary – a good sanding will work fine.
When fully assembled, S painted it a very light bluish-gray. We also like to do a little faux aging on the corners and some edges to add a touch of character. To do this, I just take a fine sandpaper and rub until the wood starts to show through the paint – try to keep it to a place that would be naturally worn over time for best effect! Finally, we picked up a few vintage-y looking knobs from Hobby Lobby (I did have to cut down the threaded part of these by an inch or so, otherwise they would have been poking through the back). Drill a corresponding number of pilot holes, screw the knobs in and mount onto the wall (preferably, find some studs to screw into; or, use drywall anchors, and don’t hang full bags from the knobs). There you have it – a fully functional shelf that also doubles as a place your wife can put some of her cutesy non-functional stuff.
Cost – <$30, assuming you have the tools you need, and depending on how fancy your knobs/hooks get.
Time – could easily be done in one day, including dry time for glue and paint. With kids and an unending list of other projects, add an extra day or week (or two).
Going for the "distressed" look.
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