25 Easy DIY Shelf Ideas for Your Walls

Shelves are a great way to add functionality and personality to blank walls. Here are 25 innovative and easy-to-build DIY shelf ideas to fit any space.

Collage of six various types of diy shelf ideas

Whenever I see a blank wall, I think it needs one of two things – art or shelves. I usually gravitate to shelves more because why wouldn’t you want to add some functional storage while also making it look good?

You can display your favorite books, knick-knacks, or decor, and you can also use them for storage to fit your needs.

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Building a shelf is easy and can be a quick one-hour project or a weekend project, depending on the type of shelf you are building.

If you want a quick solution, you can buy floating shelf brackets and add a wooden board to it. I did that here in my office. The shelf brackets I used can be found here.

How to Mount Shelves to the Wall

This is the most common question I get. While different types of shelves will be mounted differently based on their structures, the key is to add long screws into studs or use heavy-duty anchors.

To find the studs, you can use a good quality simple stud finder and add in 3″ screws.

If you do not have a stud in the location you would like to add the shelf, I highly recommend using toggle bolts to add the screws.

See how to install toggle bolts.

IMPORTANT: Anytime you are mounting a shelf, be sure to use at least two screws to make sure the shelf remains stable.

DIY Wall Shelf Ideas

Now, let’s dive into all the creative shelves you can build.

1. Floating Shelves for a Nook

Anika adding items to wall shelves in a nook

What do you do with a small, awkward nook? Add thin floating shelves. They can be used for storage or decor and are easy to make using plywood. With three walls to attach them to, these wall shelves are sturdy. Use them in any room in your home with an awkward space that needs filling.
See the tutorial here.

2. DIY Floating Kitchen Shelves

Floating shelves in the kitchen with dishes and decor

Love it or hate it, opening shelving in the kitchen is a trend that isn’t going away. Replacing a cabinet in your kitchen with floating shelves helps to open up the space and bring in more light. Making them yourself from plywood allows you to build them in any size you need for your kitchen.
Make your own with this tutorial.

3. DIY Floating Ladder Shelf

floating wall shelf used in the bathroom

The DIY floating ladder shelf is one of my most popular projects. It has two shelves and a hanging bar, so it’s perfect for a bathroom or kitchen. It’s an easy beginner woodworking project using common boards and a wooden dowel.
Get the plans here.

4. Modern Cube Wall Shelf

Simple wall shelf made with wood and painted with pink, yellow and blue accents

This modern wall shelf is made using three boards and just three tools. It’s the perfect beginner project. You could even use scrap wood if you have the boards in your scrap wood stash. Painted accents give it a modern look that can be customized for your decor.

Get the plans here.

5. DIY Dinosaur Shelf

DIY dinosaur shelf hanging on the wall

Dinosaur-obsessed kids will love this DIY shelf idea. It’s a beginner-friendly project made using plywood and a 1X6 board. Dinosaur figurines are used as hooks to hang backpacks or jackets.

Plans and tutorial here.

6. DIY Floating Shelf With Hooks

Floating bathroom shelf with towel hooks

When you live in a rental, making holes in the walls is not ideal. You don’t want to risk your damage deposit, and this floating bathroom shelf with towel hooks is a great solution! Made with plywood, 1X4s, and 1X2s, it fits right over an existing towel bar. Remove it when you leave for no damage to the wall. The best part is that your kids can easily hang up their towels so they won’t end up on the floor!

Step-by-step tutorial here.

7. DIY Hanging Shelves From Lemon Thistle

Hanging wall shelves in a nursery

This room was originally an office, and the hanging wall shelves were added for storage. Now that it’s a nursery, the shelves were kept in place as a cute addition to the room’s decor. Made with 1X12s and nylon rope, these are shelves that anyone can make.

See the tutorial here.

8. DIY Hexagon Shelves From Pine and Poplar

Hexagon shaped wall shelves made with wood

Add function and modern style to your space with these easy hexagon wall shelves. Made with common pine boards, it’s a budget-friendly project that will look great in any room of your home.

Tutorial and plans here.

9. Easy Wood Floating Shelves From Tea and Forget-Me-Nots

DIY wall shelves with books and decor

You can make your own floating shelves by gluing two boards of your choice together and mounting them on the wall using invisible shelf brackets. I love the rustic look of these shelves and the color of the finish used. The rope is purely decorative but really adds a finishing touch.

Tutorial to make these wall shelves here.

10. DIY Pipe Corner Shelf From the DIY Nuts

corner wall shelf made with wood and pipe for tv electronics

This easy shelf is ideal when you need a solution for electronics under a corner-mounted TV. Made with scrap wood and pipe fittings, it’s an easy project that looks great. I love the industrial style.

Tutorial to make it here.

11. Easy DIY Magazine Shelf From Making Manzanita

Wood magazine shelf with leather strap to hold magazines or books in place

Add modern boho style to your space with this cute wall-mounted magazine shelf. Made of 1X3 poplar, it features a leather strap to hold books and magazines in place and a clear lacquer finish. It’s great for a home office, playroom, or child’s bedroom.

Get the plans and read the tutorial here.

12. DIY Open Shelving From Lemon Thistle

Open shelves attached using brackets in a kitchen

Ikea shelf brackets and wood from your local home improvement store are used to make these floating wall shelves in the kitchen. End brackets in this style take the traditional shelves on brackets up a notch and make them look more modern.

Learn more here.

13. Art Ledge From Pennies for a Fortune

Art ledge shelf on the wall above a desk

Display art on a wall using an picture ledge shelf. This DIY floating wall shelf is an easy beginner project that will add style to any space. Made with 1X4s and 1X2s, you can make an art ledge in about 30 minutes. Customize the size to fit your space and make more than one for a great wall feature.

Tutorial to make an art ledge shelf here.

14. Home Shelf Made With Pallets From a Crafty Mix

Wood wall shelf made to spell HOME

Display collectibles on this cute wall shelf made from pallet wood. Designed to spell HOME, its simple style with distressed finish says farmhouse and would look great in any room.

Tutorial to make your own here.

15. Modern DIY Floating Shelves From Woodshop Diaries

set of three modern floating wall shelves on the wall with decor

Decorative wall shelves made with scrap wood. They’re a great way to use your scrap wood pile and experiment with different stain colors for a unique look. I love the live-edge style, which will add a modern rustic touch to any space.

Tutorial to make your own here.

16. DIY Nursery Shelves From Pine and Poplar

White painted nursery shelf holding children's books

Made with select pine and a wooden dowel, this straightforward design requires just a few cuts on your miter saw. Paint or stain them to match your nursery decor. These would also make great wall mounted shelves in the kitchen to hold cutting boards.

Tutorial to make yours here.

17. DIY Industrial Pipe Wall Shelves Set From House of Hawthornes

Bathroom wall shelves made with wood and industrial pipe

Reclaimed wood and industrial pipe shelves add a rustic touch to this bathroom. Simple to make and install, you can add clamps to secure the wood to the pipes to ensure they won’t come down.

See how to make them here.

18. Easy Modern Wall Shelves DIY From Houseful of Handmade

two toned wood wall shelf DIY

I love this wall shelf’s modern design. It’s clean and simple, and the natural finish will go with any home decor style. The shelves are adjustable, so you can set them where you need them to accommodate the size of the items you are using to display. Make your own with 1X2s and 1X6s and just a few tools.

Tutorial here.

19. DIY Live Edge Floating Shelves From the Handyman’s Daughter

placing a plant on a live edge floating wall shelf

Live-edge shelves have a natural, organic look that adds texture and interest to a space. They’re easy to DIY and hang on the wall using floating shelf hardware. You can customize them to fit any living room, bedroom, or bathroom space.

Tutorial to make your own here.

20. DIY Wood Shelving Wall From a Beautiful Mess

View of dining area and kitchen with wood shelving wall

I’m having severe shelf envy. How about you? This ultimate DIY wall shelf for display and storage isn’t as complicated as it looks. Made with 2X10s, the depth of each section is ideal for storage and displaying decor.

Tutorial to make your own here.

21. DIY Wood Wall Shelves From the Merry Thought

natural finished wood wall shelves with decor

Made from 2X6 pine boards, these DIY shelves feature mitered corners, giving them a professionally finished look. These cute little shelves are great for a reading corner in a child’s room.

Tutorial to make them here.

22. DIY Modern Farmhouse Open Shelving From Toolbox Divas

modern open farmhouse shelves in a kitchen

Not many of the wall shelves on this list are attached to the wall with brackets. Most of us remember the ugly metal brackets our parents or grandparents used and think no way! But these modern brackets cradle the shelf and attach to the wall above. You can still have floating shelves and use brackets to hang them.

Learn how to make these farmhouse open shelves here.

23. DIY Wall Shelves From Scrap Wood From Woodshop Diaries

wall shelves made with wood

These DIY scrap wood shelves have a great modern look and can be attached to the wall without brackets or hardware. They are a beginner-friendly DIY project that anyone can make.

Tutorial here.

24. DIY Wall Shelves From Pine and Poplar

Modern style wood wall shelves

You’ll need 1X2s and 1X6s to build this modern wall shelf. Black painted 1X2s give this shelf its modern style that will look great in any space. Build this beginner woodworking project using 3 basic tools.

Tutorial and plans here.

25. DIY Concrete Wall Shelf From a Crafty Mix

DIY concrete wall shelf

This cute shelf is made from sturdy cardboard and concrete mix. You can make sections the size you need to feature your favorite decor items. It can be attached to the wall in any room.

Tutorial here.

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Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"

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