This DIY’r Creates Gorgeous and Sturdy Floating Shelves for $40 in Materials
Floating shelves are a fantastic storage and home decor solution for just about any room. They can make a bathroom feel less cramped, bring in critical storage options for a kitchen, and offer a nice place to display accents and photos in a bedroom or living room. But, maybe because floating shelves are so versatile, buyers often run into the problems of undesired style or unwanted fit, with them not quite being the length, width, etc. they need for their space.
The solution? Build your own! That’s exactly what TikTok DIY diva Diamond in the Rough did when it came to directing some of her favorite Ethiopian artwork.
Watch her TikTok video to see a quick overview of how she did it here:
@diamondintherough._ DIY Floating Shelves in one day for only about $40! #diy #floatingshelves #diyproject #homedecor #bedroommakeover ♬ Do It To It – ACRAZE
Going Over Her Methods Step-by-Step
The Details
First, let’s talk about supplies and tools. For these DIY Floating Shelves, she used (and you will need);
- Stud finder
- Clamps
- Drill
- Level
- Screwdriver
- Wood screws
- Wood glue
- Nails
- 2x2s
When you buy the 2x2s, you can ask for a hardware store employee to cut them to size. If you don’t have them cut to size, then your first step is to do so. For each floating shelf, you will need one longer 2×2 that will serve as your back support and three shorter ones of equal length that will go on either side and the center.
This TikTok Diy’er starts her own video with the pieces already cut and her drill in hand. She begins by taking the drill and drilling pilot holes for where the extended 2x2s will be secure into the smaller ones.
We recommend only using your drill for drilling pilot holes and then using a hand screwdriver to screw in the woodscrews to prevent stripping and wood splitting, but user diamondintherough._ uses a battery-powered drill for both. Just make sure your screws sit flush with the wood, whichever tool you use here.
Then, whilst using a stud finder to find studs for the DIY floating shelves, she uses a level and painter’s tape to visualize where her pieces will go. She takes the connected support piece and aligns the elongated 2×2 along the bottom of the painter’s tape.
Diamondintherough._ uses two screws per stud center to attach the support piece to the wall. Finally, after her three support pieces are secured in place, she screws the front 2×2 to them so as to create a full rectangular frame.
Now, she starts the process of really turning this wooden frame into a floating shelf. She cuts and glues MDF wood on the top and bottom (she uses a thinner cut for the bottom and a thicker cut for the top). The TikTok Diy’r uses clamps to hold the pieces together after applying glue and nailing them into place for added strength.
Finally, it’s painting time! She uses a layer of primer and then fresh white paint for a beautiful finish.
People Loved This…
Diamondintherough._ received a lot of fantastic feedback on her set of gorgeous shelves, many exclaiming how professional these shelves looked and others eager to follow her lead. For example, one Tktok user commented, “I’m doing as we speak! I work with wood ALL the time. But never built floating shelves. Yours are my fave! i came back to look again lol.”
Another user applauded the video, stating, “You did an awesome job! I brought materials to do the same before seeing your video and IKEA doesn’t even compare! I love the inner wood on bott.”
This last note about IKEA might have referred to one commenter noting one could just go to IKEA, but then one wouldn’t have something unique, something built by oneself. Plus, we think with these materials you get a much sturdier outcome.
