DIY:Make Y our Own Shelves

Do you need some kind of storage unit to suit your space or your current needs? Save money and make your own shelves. Not only will they be unique, they’ll fit your space perfectly. Here are some tips for making your own shelves without breaking the bank.

Shelves are an indispensable storage solution and can easily find a home in any room: the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom or even the living room for instance. In terms of interior design, the advantage of creating your own shelves is that you can adapt them to the room. Firstly, you could do a bit of home staging, that is to say, take an old set of shelves and give them a new lease on life by repainting them to fit with your current taste and the vibe of the room.

You could also change or add doors to certain parts of the shelving. Don’t forget that you can scavenge things from your friends and family that can be turned into DIY supplies for you to use as you please. For instance, bricks can work really well with wooden boards: you just need to put a board on top of a few bricks, then stack a few more bricks on top, leaving a big enough gap of course, and put another board on top of the bricks. You can make a pretty set of shelves with only 8 bricks and 4 boards. Don’t forget to use an electric drill to fix all the elements together!

Whilst in DIY mode, you could put up hanging shelves in your living room for an even more attractive decorative effect. For these purely decorative, Scandinavian inspired shelves, you’ll need string, boards and hooks. For each shelf, you need to make holes at either end of the board at equal distance from the edges, then put a string or wire with a cable clamp at either end. Next make small holes in the wall for the hooks, then attach the strings and you’re done.

You could also make mini-shelves with cardboard boxes, wine crates or even with wooden boxes or crates.

To make your own shelves you’ll need a drill and a screwdriver, they’ll make life a lot easier. In terms of decorating the shelves, this is where you can let your imagination run wild. Why not sand your shelves smooth to make them more attractive? You could then varnish the wood or even paint it the colour of your choice. You could add a splash of colour to the inside of your shelves to add extra charm to the decoration and to make them fit with the room’s existing colour scheme and decorative features. Take a look at our article on “Using Your Walls as Storage” for more creative, homemade storage solutions.

If you’re really feeling like a bit of DIY, you could grab a ladder or stepladder and paint it in fashionable colours. An open stepladder can be an excellent stand for your flowerpots for example. Add some wooden boards on each step and you’ve got a real set of shelves with a truly unique charm.

For instance, an easy way to decorate a natural, unpainted wood ladder is by adding coloured candles, in pastel tones or more flashy colours depending on the colour of the walls. A little vase of flowers could also have a nice effect.

To branch out a bit more, you could always take a look at our articles on “Decorating Your Corridor” or our “Tips for Making the Most of a Small Kitchen” depending on what kind of space you have in your home and what areas you want to decorate. Either way home staging and DIY are always great ways to save money and feel that glow of pride and satisfaction at having done it yourself.

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Author: Roomlala