When shelf space is limited and you need a place to put knickknacks, photographs, clothing, or CDs, hanging shelves can be just the solution. They can be elegant or whimsical. You can make one hanging shelf or a set of several. With a few dollars, a little patience, and imagination, these easy-to-construct shelves can add personality and function to any room. These instructions are for a three-shelf unit. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Look for the best place to put your shelves, then measure the length you want the shelves to be, and mark lightly on the wall. Measure the depth you want for each shelf.
2. If there is to be more than one shelf, measure the distance between each shelf, and mark lightly on the wall.
3. Using a router saw, cut the 3/4-inch-thick pieces of wood to the size you want your shelves to be.
4. Lay the boards exactly on top of one another and drill 3/8-inch holes in each corner exactly 1 inch from the edge. Use a hole saw to drill the holes. The holes need to be exactly aligned from one shelf to the next for the shelves to be even.
5. Measure the distance between the two holes on the back of the wood, and drill holes for the metal eyelets in the wall using this measurement.
6. Cut the rope into two equal pieces, and loop each piece of rope around the eyelets so the ends meet evenly.
7. Bring the first shelf up to the desired height by pulling the rope through the holes. When it is the right height, hold the rope in place with clothes pins under the shelf to determine that all four corners are even and that the shelf is level.
8. Remove one clothes pin at a time, and loop the rope around the corner twice on all four corners. Do this for all three shelves.
9. Tie the corners on the bottom shelf with an extra loop knot, and cut off the extra rope close to the knot.
10. Burn the very edge of the ragged part of the rope where it was cut, just enough to get rid of the ragged edge.
Tags: distance between, drill holes, each shelf, four corners, lightly wall, mark lightly, mark lightly wall
