Learn how to turn a closet wall into storage with this easy DIY closet shelves tutorial. It's a simple afternoon project!
This little project is so beginner-friendly that it's less a how-to and more a nudge to finally DO the thing you KNOW would make your home work better.
These shelves are easy to make and a great storage solution for any unused wall or corner in a closet. Once the boards are cut, installation takes maybe 30 minutes to an hour. Let's get started!
The photo above shows my coat closet, which I'd been eyeing for SEVEN years while thinking about adding shelves but never did. We all know custom closet systems are pricey, so DIY is a great answer for a space like this!
You see, our old home didn't have a pantry (unlike our new one). My food storage was 4 or 5 cabinets between the kitchen and laundry room. That wasn't nearly enough for a family of four with a Costco membership.
You know how moving forces you to purge and make life more efficient? Well, when our floors were redone, we had to empty this little hallway coat closet. That gave me the push I needed to finally add the shelves I'd been dreaming of for so long.
Supplies for DIY Closet Shelves:
- 12″ laminated or MDF wood pieces the width and depth of your space. – I chose laminate over MDF because it doesn't need staining or sealing, and it wipes clean easily.
- Brackets
- Screws – I used 1 1/2″ screws for the walls and 3/4″ screws for the boards
- Drill
- Stud Finder
- Miter Saw – I love my miter saw and recommend one to anyone who cuts boards at home. You can also ask the big box hardware stores to cut your boards for you.
- Level
- Measuring Tape
- My Tool Store lists lots of my favorite tools if you ever need a new one!
Tips for Building Shelves in a Closet:
- Measure the items you plan to store so the shelves are the right height for them.
- Find the studs and screw the brackets into them. Even the best anchors can pull loose over time under heavy loads. You don't want that!
- Customize the shelves to fit your needs. For example, we keep a card table in that closet, and it wouldn't fit if every shelf ran the full width. So we made the bottom shelf a little shorter and made the middle shelf tall enough for the table to fit underneath. Plan it around YOUR stuff!
How to Build Closet Shelves:
I got the idea for these simple shelves from my open kitchen shelves, which are just a 1 x 10 board held up by decorative brackets. I built a more elaborate system in my guest bedroom closet because I wanted those to look more “built in”. This project stays simple, like my kitchen shelves.
You can do this project on any wall of a closet or walk-in closet in your home. It's perfect for a kid's closet, linen closet or pantry!
1. Find the Wall Studs
Before shopping for supplies, I located the studs in the walls so I'd know how many brackets I needed. If the shelves will hold a lot of weight, I recommend a bracket at every stud you can find.
I normally use my stud finder, but I couldn't find it, so I located the studs by knocking on the wall. The wall sounds hollow and gives a little until you hit a stud, and then it feels firmer.
2. Mark where each shelf will go with horizontal lines.
Draw a line across the wall, using a level to keep it straight. Think about what you'll store on each shelf when you pick its height.
3. Cut the boards to the size you need.
I chose laminate shelves so I wouldn't have to stain and seal them. I knew they'd be great for wiping up leaks or crumbs in my pantry.
4. Set all the boards in the closet before you install the brackets.
If your closet isn't very deep, you won't be able to get the shelves inside once the brackets are up. Trust me on this one!
5. Screw in the first bracket where you want it.
Then use a level on top of that bracket to find where the next one goes. Remember to screw them into the studs so they don't come crashing down later! Keep installing all the brackets for the first shelf.
Note: if you have a really small space, you could get by with 1 x 2s or 1 x 3s around the perimeter of the shelves as supports instead of brackets.
6. Set the shelf board on the brackets, then screw it into the brackets from underneath.
7. Repeat until all the shelves are installed.
Yay! You're done!
I still need to decide what goes into my new pantry and find a good way to organize it for how we use it. I'll live with it for a while before buying a pile of bins and baskets, and I'll try to use containers I already have!
For now I'm just LOVING the space and walk in several times a day just to enjoy it. I've been able to move things off the top of our fridge and dryer, where we used to stash overflow. It's been so great!
No more piles all over the closet floor! And no more overstuffed cabinets in the kitchen and laundry room. I'll be able to see what I have instead of losing things at the back of the cupboards. Yay!
Come see how I organized the pantry in our current home!
More Posts You Might Like:
I've written several posts about the shelves I've installed in my home:
