36 DIY Shelves That You Can Make for Your Home

If you are looking to add extra wall storage without spending a lot of money, consider DIY shelves. You can make your own wall shelves from affordable or upcycled materials that are usually less expensive than prefabricated shelving and will add a personal touch to your decor.

Customize your DIY shelving using materials that you can source inexpensively and will harmonize with your decor, such as upcycled pallet wood, plywood, rope, acrylic, or scraps of canvas and leather. You can use these DIY shelves throughout the home, whether it's creating built-in shelves for the living room, functional bathroom or kitchen shelves, or styled bedroom shelves.

Here are ideas for DIY shelves of varying sizes and styles made with simple, inexpensive, or upcycled materials to inspire your next project.

1:46

Watch Now: 9 Tips for Styling Shelves

01 of 36

DIY Belt Shelf

Nur Noch

Want to show off a few small items? This belt shelf from Ronja, the blogger behind Nur Noch, is a smart idea that's cheap and easy to create. All you need is a wooden board and an old suede or leather belt. In this instance, Ronja used an Ivar shelf she picked up at IKEA for less than $5.
02 of 36

DIY Cheese Box Shelves

Curb to Refurb/HomeTalk

Carrie of Curb to Refurb has a knack for recycling found objects into stunning home furnishings. She created this stylish round shelf using a discarded cheese box. To find a similar box for free, visit your local gourmet store. Stores generally discard such boxes after unpacking the cheeses.
03 of 36

Plywood Floating Shelves

Most Lovely Things

If you have a large collection of small items, building custom shelving can keep it organized rather than adding clutter. Most Lovely Things made DIY plywood floating shelves to house a collection of essential oils that makes everything easy to find while creating a visual display.
04 of 36

Dresser Drawer Shelves

Namely Original

If you have a dresser you no longer need, you can follow what Emily from Namely Original did. Emily created these adorable DIY shelves using dresser drawers that she purchased from a resale shop. Locate wall studs using a stud finder, and then attach the drawers by driving fasteners through their bottoms and into the studs.

How to Sterilize Tweezers, Hair, and Makeup Tools

Continue to 5 of 36 below
05 of 36

Wood Tray Shelf

Nur Noch

Ronja from Nur Noch transformed a wood tray into a smart shelf. The project begin with sawing the tray in half lengthwise using a circular saw. Then, one short end is cut off each tray in half. Finally, the cut ends are joined together to form a long, narrow shelf. The shelf is then attached to the wall with fasteners driven through the back edge and into studs.
06 of 36

Craft Boxe Shelves

Making Lemonade

Carrie from Making Lemonade created a stunning shelving display using customizable paper mâché boxes. Carrie spray-painted the boxes gold and then screwed them into the wall after playing with placement for a bit. Gold scrapbook paper on the shelf backs covers up the screws.
07 of 36

DIY Wall Planter Shelf

Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona

Turn your dream of having a vertical garden into reality with a simple DIY wall shelf. Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona made a wooden box planter for her kitchen wall that came together in just an hour, creating a vibrant focal point that would work in any room.
08 of 36

DIY Peg Rail Shelf

A Beautiful Mess

A peg rail shelf has a timeless look that can work in any space from traditional to modern. A Beautiful Mess made a simple DIY peg rail shelf that houses mugs, kitchen towels, and more to keep the kitchen organized and everyday items visible and accessible.

Continue to 9 of 36 below
09 of 36

Pallet Wood Window Shelves

Lobster and Swan

Weathered pallet wood shelving will add a rustic look to a cottage interior. Lobster and Swan installed silvery pallet wood shelving in the windowsills of this English country cottage work shed that functions like window sills to house plants and display objects.
10 of 36

Paper Mâché Magazine Shelf

Recycle Nation

Many shelves are made out of wood. But you also can turn paper into shelving. This shelf seen on Recycle Nation is crafted from 80 National Geographic magazines that have been connected using a paper mâché technique. After the paper mâché hardened, a band saw was used to carve out the rectangular shelf shape.
11 of 36

DIY Stretched Canvas Shelf

The Merrythought

Repurpose a stretched art canvas to create a narrow shelf to display lightweight objects and small postcards or photos, like this DIY project from The Merrythought.
12 of 36

Floating Corner Shelves

A Beautiful Mess

Maximize an unused corner by adding floating L-shaped shelves that will create space for storage or display, like these chunky white DIY shelves from A Beautiful Mess that cost $100 to make.

Continue to 13 of 36 below
13 of 36

Wood Slat Entryway Shelf

The Merrythought

Add storage to a small entryway with a DIY shelf to store keys, sunglasses, and more. The Merrythought created this minimalist wall shelf with light wood slats, adding staggered shelves and a small mirror to turn it into a multifunctional piece.
14 of 36

House-Shaped Shelf

A Beautiful Mess

Keep your mugs organized and accessible by storing them in plain sight. This DIY mug shelf from A Beautiful Mess is a simple project that will add a homey feel to your walls.
15 of 36

Wood Circle Shelf

The Merrythought

Add a small scrapwood shelf to a wood round to create a quick DIY shelf that will add soft curves to your walls while providing space for a mini display of succulents, candles, or whatever you want to show off, like this simple project from The Merrythought.
16 of 36

Skateboard Shelves

Be Makeful

Rebecca from The Crafted Sparrow repurposed inexpensive skateboards into eclectic DIY shelves for her son’s room. Rebecca found skateboards that already matched the room, so she didn’t have to alter their appearance. Then, Rebecca simply mounted them to the wall with L brackets and added some cool decor pieces on top.

Continue to 17 of 36 below
17 of 36

DIY Triangle Shelves

The Merrythought

One of the easiest ways to make your interior more dynamic is to choose decor, furniture, and textiles with a variety of geometric shapes. The Merrythought made these small wooden triangle shelves that can be used as simple wall decor, or used to store small knickknacks. Hang them right side up or upside down for a playful look.
18 of 36

Marble and Brass Shelving

A Beautiful Mess

Create the look of high-end marble and brass shelving to dress up a narrow wall above the toilet alcove in a small bathroom. A Beautiful Mess attached marble tiles to wood boards and spray-painted brackets with gold paint to achieve the glam look for less.
19 of 36

Mini Photo and Plant Shelf

The Merrythought

A small purpose-built shelf with room to display a rotating selection of printed out photos with a hole cut out to house a mini planter will add a touch of wall decor to a minimalist space, like this DIY project from The Merrythought.
20 of 36

Pre-Stained Wood Shelves

A Beautiful Mess

Create a midcentury modern-inspired display of geometric dark wood honeycomb shelves using pre-stained boards like these DIY shelves from A Beautiful Mess that double as wall decor and storage.

Continue to 21 of 36 below
21 of 36

DIY Towel Shelf

The Merrythought

Make a DIY wall shelf to store extra towels to keep your bathroom looking neat and tidy. This simple modern shelf from The Merrythought features hanging storage for rolled towels below, and a display shelf above for plants, mirrors, and decorative objects.
22 of 36

Rope Shelf

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

These DIY shelves from Ananda at A Piece of Rainbow are easy and inexpensive to put together with just rope and wood. Ananda dyed the rope yellow for some extra design flair. Then, Ananda drilled holes in the wood and ran the rope through them, knotting it under each hole so the shelves stay in place.
23 of 36

DIY Fruit Basket Shelves

A Beautiful Mess

Fruit baskets aren’t just for kitchen countertops. These DIY shelves are the perfect spot to store fruit, veggies, and other items using vertical wall space. The DIYers simply attached baskets together and then mounted the whole unit to the wall.
24 of 36

Driftwood Shelf

Sustain My Craft Habit

There’s a lot you can do with a salvaged piece of driftwood, including making some rustic shelves. These DIY shelves from Sustain My Craft Habit fit right in at a lakeside cabin. Cut the driftwood as needed to size, aiming to retain its natural lines when possible. Then, sand the wood to reduce its roughness, and apply wax to seal it before hanging it on shelf brackets.

Continue to 25 of 36 below
25 of 36

DIY Pipe Shelf

The Spruce / Lauren Thomann

If you like an industrial look, consider making shelving out of pipes. This large custom shelving unit from The Design Twins cost only $350 to create. Black industrial pipes were attached to the wall to form the shelving frame. And then the DIYers stained pine boards to run along the pipes.
26 of 36

DIY Bathroom Shelves

A Piece of Rainbow

If your bathroom includes a dated medicine cabinet, consider replacing it with simple DIY wood shelves instead. A Piece of Rainbow created a little niche above the bathroom counter with natural wood shelving that complements the frame on the mirror above the sink and adds warmth to white walls.
27 of 36

DIY Acrylic Wall Shelves

Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona

If you spot a chic storage solution at your favorite retailer but don't have the budget to spring for a ready-made option, whip up a reasonable facsimile with your own hands. Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona added acrylic sides to white laminate shelves to create a modern look for less.
28 of 36

Floating Baby Bookshelves

A Beautiful Mess

Floating DIY bookshelves make an excellent choice in a nursery, toddler room, or kids' room, allowing book covers to be displayed to add color and entice little readers to pick up a book. A Beautiful Mess layered rows of simple white painted floating wood shelving on illustrated wallpapered walls for this easy DIY project that was made with precut three-foot boards.

Continue to 29 of 36 below
29 of 36

Vintage Wall Crate Shelves

Most Lovely Things

Repurpose vintage crates to create custom wall shelving. Most Lovely Things hung vintage crates on an empty narrow wall that holds cookbooks, spices, and more that are both practical and homey, adding a touch of warmth to white walls.
30 of 36

Extra Long DIY Shelf

Liz Marie Blog

Add storage and display space to your laundry room or basement kitchenette with an extra-long shelf. Liz Marie Blog made a DIY shelf for vintage finds and laundry essentials from lengths of marble cut to fit the space for a custom wall-to-wall look. A brass picture rail at the front of shelves is both decorative and practical, ensuring that items won't fall off.
31 of 36

DIY Open Shelves for Kitchen

Getty Images/SrdjanPav

Simple unfinished wood gives a fresh look to a classic kitchen. Try a mix of wall-mounted wood shelves and a matching wood bookcase for a built-in look that seems as if it's always been there.
32 of 36

DIY Garage Shelves

Getty Images/Steve Chenn

DIY garage shelves don't need to be fancy. Try basic wall-mounted shelves and a pegboard for a functional and easy-to-DIY look.

Continue to 33 of 36 below
33 of 36

DIY Bedroom Shelves

Getty Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Install minimalist wood boards across your bedroom walls for DIY shelves that are as functional as they are stylish. These long wood shelves have an artful look when arranged with just a few choice books and objets.
34 of 36

DIY Closet Shelves

Casa Watkins Living

A new closet can be incredibly expensive, unless you DIY it. This walk-in closet from Casa Watkins Living has hanging sections, drawers, and closet shelves for shoes, making it a practical place to store your wardrobe.
35 of 36

DIY Built-In Shelves

Finding Lovely

Built-in shelves are an advanced DIY, but they can be easier to tackle if you start with a bookcase foundation. To create a sophisticated look like this, use three matching bookshelves fit to the space and trim to help make the look cohesive.
36 of 36

DIY Pull-Out Shelves

@sortandsensibility

DIY pull-out shelves make it easy to get the most out of your closet space. Install pull-out shelves into a pantry space or linen closet where you need to access items in the back.

Tips for Building DIY Shelves

If you're tackling a built-in shelf project, there are a few best practices that will help the project go smoothly. Here's what you need to know.

DIY shelves can be built out of nearly any material you have on hand, but wood, stone, acrylic, and metal are always popular materials. You can also use materials you already have on hand.
When it comes to mounting shelves, it might be easiest to stick with a standard size. Typically, shelves are 10" to 12" deep and 24" to 36" wide.
DIY shelves can be hung using brackets, french cleats, screws, rope, and even adhesive strips depending on the weight.
Make sure to install your shelves on studs to ensure that they'll have the support they need, even with items stored on top.
Space your shelves 12" apart to give plenty of room for items to be styled and stored on top of the shelves.

FAQ

Is it less expensive to build your own shelves?

It can cost less to build your own shelves depending on what materials you use and what your shelving project entails. You can build inexpensive shelves from upcycled materials such as pallet wood if you have the skills and access to simple tools that will cost next to nothing to make.
What can I use instead of wood for shelves?

In addition to wood, you can build shelves from MDF, plastic, metal, glass, and other materials. Be sure to choose the appropriate hardware and fasteners to build and hang shelving, which will differ depending on the type of material that you choose.
What is the best type of wood to use for DIY shelves?

A strong, study wood like maple or oak is best for DIY shelves. If you use a softer wood, like pine, it may not be able to withstand the weight of the items that you will store on top.