How to Hang Shelves

You Will Need:

Shelf

Shelf brackets (2 for most shelves, more if you plan to hang a long shelf)

Screws (regular multi-use)

Level

Measuring tape

Drill

Pencil

Wall Stud Finder (Optional)

Paint or Spray Paint (Optional)

1.)    Find the wall studs in the area where you want to hang your shelves. You can use an electronic stud finder, but often you can find studs simply by knocking on the wall. The studs will feel harder and more solid than the rest of the wall, and your knock will sound solid rather than hollow when you’ve found a stud.

2.)    Measure the area where you want to hang your shelves. Then measure again.  You don’t want to get home with shelves that are the wrong size.

3.)    With a pencil, mark the location (on the stud) where you want the bottom edge of the shelf to sit. Use a level to make sure that the shelf will be perfectly straight.

4.)    Buy your shelves, brackets, and screws. This is your chance to decorate, so make sure you buy something that you want to live with for a long time.  Many stores sell pre-painted shelves, but for a cheaper alternative, you can paint your own.  (See below for a Shelf Painting Pro-Tip).

5.)    Line the brackets up with your pencil marks, and then use your pencil to mark the position of the screw holes.  Set the brackets aside.

6.)    Using the drill, make shallow test holes in the wall, but don’t screw in all the way.

7.)    Replace the brackets and, using the drill, screw them in firmly.

8.)    Position your shelf atop the bracket, and then screw the brackets to the bottom of the shelf.

9.)    Get organized!

If you plan to use your shelf for decoration rather than holding weight, you may not need to secure your shelves in your wall studs. Use wall anchors instead.

Shelf Painting Pro-Tip

I was once lucky enough to observe a Master Carpenter as he built a bookcase. Instead of painting his shelves on one side then waiting hours for each coat to dry, he had this trick up his sleeve. Be warned – getting this process just right may take a little practice.

You will need:

1 Screw (multi-use)

Drill

Strong Twine

Shelf

Spray Paint (designed for wood, in the color of your choice)

Clear polyurethane spray

Protective Goggles

A well-ventilated garage or basement that can get a little messy

You will be hanging the shelf lengthwise from a ceiling joist for this project.  Make sure you have a strong ceiling joist available in a well-ventilated area.

1.)    Always wear your protective goggles when dealing with spray paint or power tools.

2.)    Prepare your shelf. If it has flaws or imperfections, use sandpaper or an electric sander to remove them.

3.)    Stand the shelf up lengthwise on its narrow end, and then drill a screw into the opposite narrow end.  (Think as if you are hanging your shelf from the ceiling like a side of beef.)

4.)    Affix a nail or screw into the ceiling joist.

5.)    Affix the twine to the nail or screw in the ceiling joist, then affix the other end of the twine to the screw on the end of your shelf. Your shelf will now be dangling from the ceiling, and should be at least a few feet off the ground. Choose a height that will be comfortable for you, because you are about to spray paint.

6.)    Spread a drop cloth or tarp underneath the shelf.

7.)    Hold your spray paint 12 to 24 inches from the shelf and begin spraying. Start at the top and work your way down in a side to side sweeping motion.

8.)    Let the first coat dry thoroughly, and then apply the spray paint again to form a second coat.

9.)    After that coat dries thoroughly, apply the clear polyurethane spray to the entire shelf.

10.) Enjoy your newly painted shelf!

If you find your shelf moving around on you, stand back a bit farther before aiming your spray paint.

Have a question, idea or shelf-hanging adventure story? Let it all out in the comments!

This monthly series on do-it-yourself projects for freelance writers will serve a dual purpose of saving you money on all the various and sundry freelance writing accoutrements you need and allowing you to personalize your office space. After all, you’re a freelancer unlike any other, why use the same old laptop stand, pencil cup, or inbox tray that everybody else uses?

This month’s project is all about cork boards. Cork boards, known by school children everywhere as bulletin boards, come in second only to white boards as the handiest of all office wall decorations. Though you can’t write on them, you can fill them with your schedule, reminders, outlines, pictures, motivational sayings, and whatever else you need to see in your day to day. If all else fails, you can also throw darts at them with few lasting effects to your office walls.  Better yet, both of these cork board projects can be done safely from your own home with only hand tools.

Cork Board with Personality

This is possibly the easiest DIY project for the office, but also one of the most versatile. Not only can you use cork boards in the traditional spot – on the wall where you can easily see them – you can use them in hidden places such as inside desk cabinets, or on the side of the file cabinet.

You will need:

4 (or more) cork tiles (available at Office Depot)

Fabric in a style and pattern that suits you

Staple Gun

Scissors

Super glue/Glue Gun (Optional for Hanging)

1.)    Measure your cork board, then cut your fabric so that it is 1 ½” longer and wider than your cork board on all sides.

2.)    On a flat surface, lay the fabric print side down, making sure there are no wrinkles. Lay the cork gently on top of the fabric. For some reason, the meeting of cork board and fabric will cause the fabric to immediately wrinkle. This will be your challenge. Pull the fabric taut under the cork board and be prepared to struggle to keep it that way.

3.)    Fold the excess cloth around the back of the cork board, as when wrapping a present.

4.)    Start stapling. Staples should be about ½” to 1” from the edges of the corkboard, and about 2 inches apart in order to hold the fabric in place. During this step, watch for wrinkles in your fabric. Pull taut every time you staple.

5.)    Use thumbtacks or nails to attach the finished product directly to the walls. Get creative and use negative space or a diamond pattern to make your cork boards stand out. If you wish to hang your cloth covered bulletin boards inside desk drawers or on the side of a file cabinet, use a hot glue gun to apply. Be advised though that this is a permanent solution. (Hot glue can be removed, but it’s difficult.)

Criss-Cross Cork Board

Do you already have a bulletin board, but get sick of how its dull corkiness sticks out like a store thumb in your otherwise immaculate office? Transform it into a criss-cross board! Criss-cross boards are surfaces covered with cotton batting and fabric, then criss-crossed with ribbons. The ribbons allow you to stick receipts, bills, notices and photographs right onto the board without bothering with thumbtacks.

You will need:

1 Cork bulletin Board (Substitutes: large piece of cardboard, plywood, artist’s canvas)

Cotton batting

Fabric in a style and pattern that suits you

Spool of ribbon (or a variety of ribbons)

Sawtooth Picture Hanger

Scissors

Pins

A Staple Gun

A Glue Gun

Decorative Thumb Tacks (Optional)

A DIY ribbon board with horizontal/vertical ribboning.

1.)    Decide whether or not you wish to remove the bulletin board frame. My personal ribbon board still has its frame, but the project works either way.

2.)    Remove your cork board’s hanging mechanism. Sawtooth and other hangers can be glued back on after the project is complete.

3.)    Cut the cotton batting so that it is 3” longer and wider than your cork board on all sides. (Can be shorter if you choose to remove the bulletin board frame.)

4.)    Lay the batting on a flat surface. Then lay the bulletin board, cork-side down, squarely in the center of the batting.

5.)    Gather the excess batting around the back of the bulletin board and then staple the batting to the back of the bulletin board. Staples should be about 1/2” to 1” from edges of the bulletin board and about 2” apart. When finished, trim off excess batting.

6.)    Next, take your cloth, cover the front (cotton batting side) of the bulletin board with it, and use that measurement to trim it to size. Leave a generous amount of fabric (at least 6”) so that you have room to wrap the fabric around the board. You can always trim the fabric later.

7.)    Staple the cloth to the back of the bulletin board. (Try to avoid the staples you used for the batting!) Staples should be about 1/2” to 1” from edges of the bulletin board and about 2” apart. Trim the excess fabric.

8.)    Now comes the fun/hard part – applying the ribbons.  You can either apply the ribbons in one of two ways: horizontally/vertically or diagonally. I recommend diagonally because it’s allows for better hold in day to day use. Starting a couple of inches from one of the corners of the board, run a piece of ribbon diagonally across the fabric surface to the opposite side of the board. Hold the ribbon in place temporarily with pins or fabric tape, then do the same with the rest of the ribbon. Then run the ribbon in the opposite direction over the fabric surface, so that the ribbons form a criss-cross diamond pattern on the front of your board. You will be tucking small papers into the ribbons, so be sure to leave enough room.

9.)    When the ribbons look the way you want them too, hot glue or staple them to the back of the board.

10.) Hot glue or staple the points where the ribbons intersect. You can optionally use decorative thumb tacks for this purpose to give your board a little extra flair.

11.) Glue a sawtooth picture hanger to the back to hang the board.

There’s a whole lot more you can do with malleable and versatile cork board. If you want to get creative with the shape of your cork board, visit DesignSponge.com for a template for the mother of all funky cork boards. Or if you simply want to construct a school-style bulletin board of your own without bothering with fabric and glue guns, visit Instructables for a step-by-step guide to DIY bulletin boards.