How to Build Fancy Shelves for a Desk
- 1). Purchase boards made of any type of wood you prefer. Pine boards are lightweight and easy to work with. If you do not have a saw to cut the wood to the desired length, buy it at a major home center where someone can cut it for you. Paint the boards any color you wish or leave them natural.
- 2). Attach L-brackets to the wall above your desk. The number of brackets you'll need depends on the length of the shelf. Make sure you use enough to support extra weight. With a drill bit slightly larger than your drywall screws, drill holes for the L-brackets in the wall. If you use a larger drill bit, the plastic sleeves will go in easier. Once the holes are drilled, gently tap in the plastic sleeves with a hammer. You might even be able to push them in with your thumb. To attach the brackets to the wall, drill screws through the holes in them and through the plastic sleeves in the drywall.
- 3). Set the shelf on the brackets you attached to the wall. Mark it with a pencil where the brackets are located. Take the shelf down and lay it flat on a table or the floor. Using a canning jar lid, mark off where the jars are going to attach to the shelf; space them evenly. With wood screws and the drill, attach the lids to the shelf. You might need to tap the screws with a hammer a few times to perforate the lids and get the screws started. When all the lids are in place, screw the jars to them.
- 4). Place the shelf with jars on the wall brackets. Screw the other ends of the wall brackets to the shelf. Next, place a piece of molding on top of the shelf and against the wall. Nail the molding with paneling screws or glue it to the wall. The paneling nails leave a cleaner wall if you ever remove the shelf.
