How to Build a Floating Shelf for Your Living Room Step-By-Step
Y’all know I love a good DIY project, and there is one that I am particularly proud of. So, I’m here to give you a step-by-step tutorial of my picture shelf!!! If you want to see the finished product, you can check out my IG post!
Step One
To start, I measured 3 pieces of weathered oak wood to 8 feet, then I stained them. When all of the stain was dry, I started piecing the shelf together to attach it. I only attached the bottom and front boards at this point… and I’ll explain why in a minute. I recommend using clamps for this step, which I did not do, so that your boards will be flush. After I nailed the front board in, I noticed that the nails were sticking out of the bottom board, so I cut them off with pliers. You can use wood glue for this step, if you prefer to do that.
Step Two
For this step I did one coat of polycrylic (I prefer this to polyurethane because it dries faster), and I lightly sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper for a smoother finish. I did one more coat after sanding it, and let the shelf dry.
Step Three
Then things really got good! I gathered all of the picture frames from around the house that I could find. These were used to figure out what size frames I would want as the final products on the shelf once I got it hung. I always need a visual before I can make a final decision. This was probably the hardest step haha.
Step Four
For the final step I measured the wall where I wanted to hang the shelf, and taped it off. I used a stud finder, and screwed the back piece into the studs. Make sure that you use a level when you’re measuring and marking, to make the process easier on yourself. Nobody wants random holes in their walls. When the back piece was in, I used a brad nailer, wood glue, and CLAMPS (for goodness sake, use the clamps!!!) to attach the bottom/front piece to the back. And when all of that was said and done, I did use L brackets to reinforce it, because we also don’t want broken picture frames all over the floor. Better to be safe than sorry.
And that’s, that! Easy enough, right?! And I get a TON of questions about my couch. So, for couch details + info on other items in the living room, you can visit The Perfect Cognac Couch! 🙂