These 3 simple DIY wall shelf brackets make it simple so as to add a shelf the place you want it, from your kitchen or toilet to the lounge or bed room.

3 Straightforward DIY Wood Shelf Brackets
Constructing a shelf is a superb starting DIY venture – cheap, requires minimal instruments, and simple to customise. You may buy cheap shelf brackets to make open shelving at any dwelling enchancment retailer and even Walmart… or you’ll be able to choose up a couple of items of wooden from the scrap pile and make your personal!
The very best a part of making your personal DIY shelf brackets is that you simply management the dimensions of the bracket for a customized match to your desired shelf depth – you’ll be able to even glue 2 brackets collectively for a thicker shelf bracket.
On this weblog submit, we’ll present you 3 methods to construct a wooden shelf bracket, with completely different dimension brackets and types to suit no matter you want. You’ll simply want the lumber of your selection and a few primary instruments.
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Supplies & Instruments to Construct a DIY Wall Shelf Bracket
- Lumber: relying on the model of shelf bracket, you’ll desire a 1×8, 2×8 or 2×10, or 4×4 board. Fundamental pine is the most cost effective and takes paint effectively; in case you’re on the lookout for a ravishing stained wooden shelf bracket, contemplate investing in hardwood boards as a substitute.
- Miter noticed and/or jigsaw
- Drill
Word: These shelf brackets mixed with a 1 1/2″ wooden shelf are robust sufficient for decor and different lighter objects. For heavy hundreds, akin to books or dishes, cabinets MUST be put in securely within the wall studs.

Easy Chunky DIY Wall Shelf Bracket
For this straightforward ornamental shelf bracket, all you want is a scrap of 4×4 lumber (or bigger), a miter noticed, and a drill to hold the shelf bracket on the wall.
Sarah confirmed us how one can make these easy corbel shelf brackets step-by-step:
- Reduce the underside of the bracket board to the angle you want. Most miter saws will lower as much as a 45-degree angle. To chop a steeper angle for an extended bracket face, simply comply with Justin’s directions right here for utilizing a scrap piece of wooden to create a brand new fence and lower a 50-degree (or extra) angle utilizing a miter noticed.
- Then measure 1-3″ up from the highest of the miter lower and lower the highest of the bracket at a 90-degree angle, to carry the shelf.
- Repeat to create a second shelf bracket.
- Stain or paint the shelf bracket (and shelf) as desired.

To hold the shelf brackets, predrill 2 holes by way of the angled fringe of the bracket and into the studs within the wall, then safe with 3-inch screws. (If there are not any wall studs the place you need the shelf, use drywall anchors.) Use a laser stage to make sure that the brackets are stage on the similar peak.
Reduce a a 2×6, 2×8, or 2×10 board to your required shelf size, and fix to the brackets utilizing wooden glue and 1-2 screws by way of the shelf into every bracket.

Fundamental Curved Wall Shelf Bracket
It’s really easy to make your personal curvy wooden shelf bracket, and this can be a nice venture to make use of up some scrap wooden *and* to observe slicing curves along with your jigsaw or scroll noticed. You’ll want a 2×8 board or scraps, a jigsaw, a drill, and a couple of keyhole hangers.
Ananda gave us the simple step-by-step wooden bracket directions (together with a printable template!):
- Draw your curved bracket (or use the free printable template) and hint 2 on to the two×8 board.
- Use a jigsaw to chop each curved edges.
- Clamp the two items collectively and sand any tough edges alongside the curves clean to match.
- Connect a keyhole hanger to the again of every bracket. The hanger might be hooked up flush or use a router or small Forstner drill bit to recess the hanger barely into the again of the bracket.

Use wooden glue and screws or nails to connect a board to the highest of the brackets to kind the shelf. (Or, get artistic and use previous books to make a shelf like Ananda did!) Set up screws within the studs (or wall anchors) to hold the shelf utilizing the keyhole hangers.

When you have a router, you’ll be able to gown up the straightforward curvy bracket like Sara did on her extra-thick mantel corbels right here.

Classic Layered Wall Shelf Bracket
This layered shelf bracket is a ravishing mixture of a chunky bracket and a curved bracket, and so easy to make! Simply seize your jigsaw, a 1×8 and a 2×10 (full boards or scraps) and a few wooden glue so as to add this ornamental ingredient to your shelf.
Amy shared the step-by-step directions, and you’ll obtain the printable template right here.
- Hint 2 outer bracket items on the 1×8, and 1 internal bracket piece on the 1×10.
- Rigorously lower out the three bracket items utilizing a jigsaw (or scroll noticed or band noticed) and gently sand any tough sections to take away the pencil marks.
- Glue and nail the outer bracket items to the internal bracket piece, one on all sides, flush with the highest and overset about 1/4″ on the curved edges.
- Measure and lower a chunk of three/4″ thick wooden to roughly 1″ x 8″ to fill the highest of the ornamental part. Glue and nail it in place.

To hold the shelf brackets, you’ll be able to drill holes by way of the middle part of the bracket, or use keyhole hangers on the again of the bracket. Like the opposite shelf brackets, you’ll connect the shelf to the brackets utilizing glue with nails or screws by way of the shelf and into the bracket.
Different Makes use of for DIY Shelf Brackets
Brackets are useful assist for cabinets, they usually will also be a ravishing visible addition to different horizontal ledges in your house, like your kitchen island, a mantel, or perhaps a doorway.


Brackets can be utilized as bookends on an open shelf, too – simply flip the bracket the other way up like this straightforward IKEA shelf bracket hack. (This may cut back the burden restrict on the shelf, FYI.)

And in case you want an affordable and simple open shelving system with robust brackets, take a look at how we made the Least expensive and Best Open Cabinets with Brackets that Disappear.

DIY Shelf Bracket FAQs
How a lot weight can DIY picket shelf brackets maintain?
Shelf weight restrict is set partly by supplies and partly by the attachment to the studs. For these 3 shelf sorts, utilizing a 1 1/2″ shelf of round 30″ or much less in size and hooked up securely to 2 studs, I might estimate the cabinets can simply maintain 20+ lbs (10 lbs per stud attachment) and doubtless much more – that’s a conservative estimate!
In the event you’d like so as to add additional power to your DIY shelf brackets, use this trick we noticed on the Parade of Houses: Add a horizontal assist board alongside the size of the shelf. This set up additionally makes use of some extra vertical boards for a pleasant clear look.

Ought to cabinets overhang brackets?
Sure, from each a visible and structural standpoint, cabinets can overhang brackets. The entrance fringe of the shelf shouldn’t be greater than a few inches over the entrance of the bracket, although.
What dimension ought to shelf brackets be?
As a normal rule for cabinets, the shelf bracket must be taller than it’s deep, and the depth of the bracket must be no less than 2/3 the depth of the shelf (and extra will probably be stronger). The shelf bracket must be hooked up to studs in 2 places, and to the shelf in 2 spots, minimal.
Do you connect brackets to a wall or shelf first?
Both, relying on the venture. Attaching the brackets to the shelf first ensures they’re stage and sq. with the shelf, however attaching the brackets to the wall first might be simpler to make sure a safe attachment to the wall (with out the shelf in the best way).
Extra DIY Shelf Concepts You’ll Need to Construct

Lorene has been behind the scenes right here at Remodelaholic for greater than a decade! She believes that planning tasks and truly finishing them are two completely different hobbies, however that does not cease her from planning no less than a dozen tasks at any given time. She spends her free time creating recollections along with her husband and 5 youngsters, touring so far as she will afford, and partaking of books in any kind out there.
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