• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

My Vintage Porch

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • DIY
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Shop
    • Shop My Instagram
    • My Etsy Shop
    • IG Links

My Vintage Porch

Interior Design, DIY, and Refurbishing

DIY open shelving

Filed Under: Crafts & Projects, DIY, Home Improvements, Painting Tagged With: antique, blog, blogger, Christmas, Christmas decor, Christmas home inspiration, Christmas tree, diy home, DIY shelves, farmhouse, farmhouse style, home blog, home blogger, home decor, home inspo, open shelving, painted, painted furniture, pottery barn style, restoration hardware, shelves, stained furniture, vintage, wood shelves

 

Hi Friends! I have had so so many questions on these open shelves in my home so I wanted to show you how you can make some for yourself! They are super easy and budget friendly! Yay, my favorite two words! I don’t even really need pictures of how I do it, I’m just going to explain it because it is so easy.

 

First you start with a 2×10″ or 2×12″ board from any hardware store. I actually found some cool 2×12″ barnwood pieces (from a junk store) to use here. Sometimes the lumber from the hardware store will warp a little if it is damp when you buy it. I have not found a local place that sells dry lumber but you may have one in your town. If you buy dry lumber, you will not have the warping problem. Mine from the hardware store have warped a little but I don’t mind it and it’s not noticeable unless you are looking for it.

 

 

Any hardware store will gladly cut your lumber for you if you do not own a Chop Saw. So, just measure the space where you want them prior going to pick out your boards and then have the hardware store cut them to the size you would like. The brackets will need to be screwed into studs so that may determine where you place your shelves or your brackets. I’m embarrassed to say that a couple of my shelves did not hit the studs but if that happens, no problem! You can just use Drywall Anchors. I would definitely recommend screwing them into studs but if all else fails there is the drywall anchor option.

 

After you cut your boards to size, you just need to sand them and stain or paint them the color you would like. There are so many great stain colors now! These shelves above my church bench were stained with dark walnut and then after drying for days, I sanded them down to give them more of a rustic look.

 

If you have been following me for any time at all, you know that I have these all over my home. They are just the best for decorating!!

 

These shelves in my dining area, I used Grey Stain.

 

These were my old shelves in my eat in area nook. They were stained with dark walnut stain.

IMG_4259

 

I don’t seal my shevles with anything but hemp oil. I found my hemp oil at Sprouts ªa local market of mine) but you can also find it here. I just wiped it on with a rag and it helps keep the wood moist. I’ve read that you should oil them once a year if using hemp oil. I have not reapplied oil for a couple of years and mine are doing great. They are just more of a matte finish. You could also use poly urethane for a glossier finish. If you painted your shelves and want to use poly, just make sure it’s the water based polyacrylic or your paint will yellow. If you used stain, you can use the oil based polyurethane.

 

Once your shelves are stained and oiled or sealed with poly, you can get your brackets and drill them into the studs. You will want a stud finder and a level. Not every screw from these brackets that I used hit a stud but at least 2 usually did. The level helps make sure your shelves will be level I’m adding an affiliate link of where I  found my shelf brackets at Home Depot .  I LOVE them!! I get asked all the time where I find my brackets, so there you go.

 

I even have these shelves in my kids rooms. These in my daughters room are stained with grey stain and then I dry brushed them with my recipe of white chalk paint (that you can find here) for a washed look. I’ve used this chalk paint made with calcium carbonate for years and I just love it and how budget friendly it allows chalk paint to be.  I also spray painted these brackets with a white spray paint.

DSC_0376

 

This shelf in our spare bedroom was stained with Grey Stain and then I painted it solid white over the stain. I then sanded off parts of the white paint with my hand sander to allow for more of a barn wood, chippy look.

img_5536

 

And that’s it! I hope this was a help and that I have inspired you to make you own shelves! It’s such a fun, easy DIY project! I hope to meet up with you on Instagram (@vintageporch), Facebook (“My Vintage Porch), and Pinterest (“My Vintage Porch) as well! Have a great day my friends! Here is a run down of the steps and the supplies that you will need.

Steps:

  1. Measure your wall space and decide the size of shelves that you would like.
  2. Cut 2×10″ or 2×12″ boards to the size you would like.
  3. Sand your boards.
  4. Stain or paint your shelves the color you would like.
  5. Seal your boards/shelves
  6. Buy brackets and screw the brackets into the studs in your wall.
  7. Screw your wood shelf into the bracket.

 

Supplies

  1.  2×10″ or 2×12″ boards
  2. Sand Paper and Cordless Hand Sander or Sanding Blocks
  3.  Stain or paint
  4.  Paint brush if using paint and rags or stain brush if using stain
  5. Shelf brackets and screws for shelf brackets (if buying the ones I suggested, the screws are suggested with your purchase)
  6.  stud finder
  7.  level
  8.  Drill

 

 

 

View More Related Posts

  • How To Lighten And Update Stained Furniture
    How To Lighten And Update Stained Furniture
  • Painting A Checkerboard/ Chess Board
    Painting A Checkerboard/ Chess Board
  • Apothecary Style Jewelry Cabinet
    Apothecary Style Jewelry Cabinet
  • TWITTER
  • FACEBOOK

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Renee Souder says

    January 10, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    Hello, I bought the boards from Home Depot 2×12….. mine look so thick compared to your shelves. In your pics your shelves look about an inch thick. Mine are too chunky looking (2in) I don’t want to hang them. Please tell me looks are deceiving and your shelves in all your pics are also 2 inches thick. Thanks

    • My Vintage Porch says

      January 13, 2018 at 8:04 am

      Hi Renee, yes mine are all 2” thick. The one inch would look a lot skinnier. The one inch are pretty too though. I love my 2”. I bet you will love them once they are up. ❤️

  2. Tammy says

    February 13, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Love everything you do and follow you on all media outlets! Can you please tell me what brand of hemp oil you use for wood conditioning?

    IG tammzplaceofhappy

    • Tammy says

      February 13, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Also, for your nook area, what is the height spacing between your shelves and are your ceilings 9′? Thanks so much!

      • My Vintage Porch says

        June 16, 2018 at 7:52 am

        Hi Tammy, yes, 9′ ceilings and the spacing is about 15″ apart

Trackbacks

  1. That Amazing Wall!! says:
    March 1, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    […] made these shelves and you can find a tutorial here. I’m probably a little shelf overboard, as there are not many rooms in my home without them! […]

  2. My Spring Home Tour says:
    March 14, 2017 at 5:01 am

    […] made these open shelves and you can find the tutorial here. I love diy projects and adding budget friendly rustic decor is a favorite of mine, especially when […]

  3. Chalk Painting An Old Dresser  says:
    March 24, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    […] Shelves: DIY […]

  4. Making Free Fall Art says:
    September 20, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    […] Shelves: Tutorial here […]

  5. The Shiplap Reveal!!! says:
    September 25, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    […] DIY Shelf Tutorial […]

  6. Joyful For Fall Home Tour says:
    October 2, 2017 at 6:51 am

    […] projects this Fall. I love the old chippy wooden window frame that I found for the frame. And these barn wood shelves that I made give added dimension and easy access to dishes and […]

  7. How To Make Faux Metal Leaves  says:
    October 9, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    […] the way they turned out and the little bit of dimension it gives to my wall space here beside my diy kitchen shelves. I used clear scotch tape on the backs of the leaves to hang them up, trying to mimic the look of […]

  8. Budget Friendly Artwork  says:
    October 10, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    […] Shelf Above Bed: DIY […]

  9. Merry Christmas! says:
    November 6, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    […] Open Shelving: DIY […]

  10. Home Decor Trends in 2017 - Arnett Properties - Arizona Real Estate says:
    November 21, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    […] DIY Open Shelving […]

  11. Christmas Hoop Wreaths says:
    November 22, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    […] using all of the hoops that I found at the store. I used little tack nails to hang them to my diy shelves. I could have also just tucked the ends under these books to hold them as […]

  12. Our Christmas Guest Room says:
    December 23, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    […] Rustic Shelf Above Bed: DIY here […]

  13. Winter Wonderland In The Desert Part 2 says:
    January 9, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    […] added these DIY shelves a few years back to my corner nook for extra storage. They are super easy to make and very budget […]

Primary Sidebar

Search My Vintage Porch

meet natalie

Receive the latest posts from My Vintage Porch!

Sign up to receive an email with my home decor ideas, decorating tips and latest DIYs!

Footer

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Travel
  • DIY
  • Home Decor
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy

Receive the latest posts from My Vintage Porch via email!

Join me on Instagram
@vintageporch
Who thinks Trav truly begged for Christmas decor?…maybe if it was laced with pumpkin pie or holiday treats🤔…But, he sure does love Caséta by @lutronelectronics lighting controls…we both do!! #sponsored These lighting controls have made life with lighting so much more convenient for us and has given us peace of mind that no matter where we are, we are in total control of our lighting! It’s so nice to be able to turn our lights on and off (or dim them) with the Pico smart remote or the Lutron app on our phones! They even integrate seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. With Caséta by Lutron lighting controls, the possibilities just keep going and going!  #LutronAmbassador
#casetasmarterlighting  #Christmas2023 #Christmas #home
After annoying the fam with messes everywhere and After annoying the fam with messes everywhere and decorating and undecorating the mantle 12x before liking it…it’s finally done and I love it…and, it’s giving me some Cinderella feels. 🤔 
.
Cute feathered bird friends and candles: @balsamhill 
Stockings: @kilimrughomee 
Garland: @perspectivedesignco 
Deer: Antique store find 
Painting: Facebook marketplace find 
#Christmasmantle #mantle #Christmas #garland #homedecorating
The bed that every spouse asks for…one filled wi The bed that every spouse asks for…one filled with 7 pillows and 7 blankets, one for every day of the week all bundled into one…Trav doesn’t like surprises so I don’t want to spread out the cozy love all week…it’s better to hit him with it all at once. I chatted blanket layering in stories today…Now who is going to take these pillows off and drag the other ones out of the closet so we can go to bed. 🤔 rug: @kilimrughomee …tree: @balsamhill Alpine Balsam Fir 6.5’ #bedroom #bedroomdesign #Christmasbedroom
This year I wanted to go all out red and green for This year I wanted to go all out red and green for my Christmas decor…I’m not done yet but I sure am loving all of this @balsamhill 7.5’ Brewer Spruce tree gorgeousness! #BalsamHillPartner Their ornaments are just as amazing as their trees! The mercury glass ornaments are one of my faves and the Brilliant Bordeaux Finial Ornaments, 😱just wow!!! I love them alllllll!!!! They were so sweet to give me a code for you to use and they have some great sales going on on their site!…code: “BHNATALIE” ($20 off for $500 purchase or more) #BalsamHillTheGreatnessOfTrees #gifted #Christmasdecorating #Christmasdecor #Christmastree #Christmastime
Were you team “get the dog painting” or “lea Were you team “get the dog painting” or “leave it”, at the thrift store? I’m pretty sure it was looking for me and we found each other. The end…well, besides adding a light above it, curtains bedside it, and maybe some greenery somewhere near it😎 #dogpainting #Christmasdecor
Such great sweaters for an amazing price!!!! I was Such great sweaters for an amazing price!!!! I was looking for some cute sweaters and I found some! Lots of colors and sizes too!  These jeans and boots are so good too! (Linked in profile and https://liketk.it/4n1MQ) @walmartfashion 
@walmart  #WalmartPartner #WalmartFashion @Shop.ltk #liketkit

Copyright © 2023 | Exclusive member of Mediavine Home

 

Loading Comments...