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This is a quick, high-impact wall shelf: a 1x4 back board with short spacer blocks that hold a row of little 1x8 shelves proud of the wall, so they appear to float in a stepped, gallery-ish arrangement. It knocks off a pricey retailer look for the cost of two six-foot boards and a handful of screws.
The only technique worth naming is hiding your fasteners. Screw the spacers to the back board from behind, through the back, so no screw heads show on the front — predrill so the short blocks don't split. If you'd rather, a brad nailer works here too. The shelves themselves can be centered on their spacers or offset for a more dynamic look; there's no wrong answer, so lay them out before committing.
Hanging is the one place to be careful because a shelf carries whatever you set on it. Screw through the front of the shelf into a wall stud where you can; where there's no stud, use a proper drywall anchor rated for the load. Done right it's genuinely sturdy despite looking delicate — a nice display piece for small plants, books, or objects.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x8 board, 6 ftShelves. A 1x6 or 1x12 works too — adjust shelf length. | 1 each |
| 1x4 board, 6 ftBack board and spacers. | 1 each |
| Wood screws, 1-1/4" and 2" | 24 each |
| Wood glue | 2 oz |
| Drywall anchorsWhere you can't hit a stud. | 4 each |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Back board1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 36 3/4" |
| End spacers1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" |
| Shelf spacers1x4 | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 6 1/2" |
| Shelves1x8A 1x6 or 1x12 lets you go shallower or deeper. | 5 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 8 1/2" |
Buy 2 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Lay out the spacer positions on the back board and mark them. Glue the less-attractive face of each spacer to the back board and screw from behind through the back board so no heads show on the front — predrill the short blocks so they don't split. A brad nailer works here too.
Set each little shelf on its spacers, centered or offset as you like — lay them all out and eyeball the arrangement first — then screw them in place.
Sand and finish the shelf. To hang, screw through the front of a shelf into a wall stud where you can; where there's no stud, use a drywall anchor rated for the load. Level it, and it'll be far sturdier than it looks.
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