How to Make Built-In Closet Shelves

​text by Steph     ​Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

Recently we finished my walk-in closet makeover. With that complete, I wanted to turn my old closet into a full storage closet. When I moved in, all my closets had that wire type shelving (which I really don't like). I ripped it all out and planned to make build-in wood shelves. Well, it's time to make that happen! Read below to see how to used three materials to make each of these shelves!

Supplies:

• Ryobi Drill/driver
• Circular saw
• Kreg Rip-Cut (Amazon)
• Kilz primer
• Minwax poly protective finish
• Magnetic stud finder (Amazon)
• SPAX 2 1/2" screws​
• Construction adhesive
• Ryobi 18 gauge brad nailer
• RapidFuse glue (Amazon)
• Plywood, 1x2 strips, base shoe molding (see photo)

First, paint the 1x2 wood with kilz primer.

Cut one shelf to check the size

Mark where each shelf will go in the closet

We used our kreg circular saw jig to make nice straight cuts in the plywood. Our circular saw just slides into the jig and attaches in place. Cut out the rest of the shelves. We made our top shelf half the width of the others. This way we have room to put items on the shelf and the door frame will not get in the way.

Sand any rough spots on the plywood

Paint the shelves. We used kilz primer again then finished it with a clear poly.

Find studs in wall then level the 1x2 board and drill pilot holes for screws.

Attach the side strips the same way

Two of our screws could not attach to studs so we installed wall anchors for these.

Place plywood on top

We continued this process for all 4 shelves. The biggest challenge was working around the already installed shelves but we made it work! (We did not attach the top of the plywood to the support yet, in case we needed to move them out of the way while working.)

We bought 35 ft of base shoe from Home Depot to finish the top of the shelves.

You can cut molding to size at the Home Depot cutting station. They provide a miter box and saw. It's sold by the foot, so you can get what you need!

We mitered the edges of the molding. It was a little challenging to figure out which angles on which side, but mom was a rockstar at this!

It comes in very long segments that would not fit in our car. We can feet 9 feet max.

Note- we went with the more expensive molding as it was already finished and we wouldn't need to sand or paint it. This is the cheaper version pictured.

Use construction adhesive on the support wood, then place the plywood on top. Use a brad nailer to secure the plywood to the support.

To attach the molding, use RapidFuse glue or wood glue. Cover the screws with wood glue. We also used caulk to cover any seams. Touch up paint and done!

I really like how these shelves turned out! I have room for my books, old keepsakes, travel gear, guest supplies, future gifts and more! It makes me smile to open this closet now and see my organized closet of things! 

What space in your house could use some build-in shelves or organization? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on instagram to see what we are working on next!

Please note: We are not sponsored by any of the companies/products that we used. These products were picked and bought by us.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

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