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Free build guide

How to build
floating shelves.

By Jon, Farmhouse Urban Design · Updated

How to build the rustic floating shelf we sell: a hollow box of ¾″ knotty pine that slides over a hidden wall cleat, so there are no brackets on show. A drawing for every step, every part named. Free, no ads.

Skill
Beginner
Time
About an hour
Steps
5
Lengths
18–36″
Start the free guide

Rather have us build it? We build it to order, from $92.

Building it later? Save this guide to Pinterest (opens Pinterest in a new tab).

Three rustic floating shelves we built, in stained knotty pine on hidden cleats, on a bathroom wall holding a plant, glass jars and a basket
The rustic floating shelf, drawn from our model of it
DWG FUD-105 STEPS

Before you start

Eight sizes, one build.

The rustic floating shelf comes in eight sizes: 18″ × 7″ × 4″, 22″ × 7″ × 4″, 28″ × 7″ × 4″, 28″ × 10″ × 4″, 32″ × 7″ × 4″, 32″ × 10″ × 4″, 36″ × 7″ × 4″ and 36″ × 10″ × 4″. The steps are the same at every size; the parts’ sizes change.

The rustic floating shelf at 18″, 22″, 28″, 32″ and 36″ long, 7″ deep, side by side at the same scale
To scale · drawn 7″ deep · every size 4″ thick
  1. 01

    Find the studs first

    The cleat screws into the wall studs, so find them before you choose where the shelf goes. With its cleat screwed into two studs, ours holds about 25 lb at 7″ deep or 20 lb at 10″ deep; on drywall anchors alone, keep the load lighter.

  2. 02

    Choose the depth

    7″ deep suits a bathroom; 10″ holds books. Every size is 4″ thick, with room inside for the cleat.

  3. 03

    Know the skills

    It’s a beginner’s build: cutting and ripping boards square, pocket-hole joinery and brad-nailing. We build one in about an hour, before the finish.

The parts

  1. Meet the parts.

    Each group is built on its own, then goes into the rustic floating shelf in the steps below. Drawn from our model at 32″ long, all to one scale.

  2. 01

    The rustic floating shelf’s box, drawn on its own

    Box

    ¾″ knotty pine: the front runs the full height, with the top and bottom behind it and the ends between; the back is open for the cleat.

  3. 02

    The rustic floating shelf’s wall cleat, drawn on its own

    Wall cleat

    A 2x rail that screws to the wall, with arms that run forward inside the box.

Tools & materials

What you’ll need.

A checklist: tick each one off as you gather it.

Tools

Measure and cut

Drill and join

Clamp and sand

Install and stay safe

Materials

Wood

Fasteners and glue

Finish

Step by step

How it goes together.

Each picture shows the rustic floating shelf so far, drawn at 32″ long: the parts the step adds are shaded, and the ones already built are ghosted.

  1. 01Cut
  2. 02Cleat
  3. 03Box
  4. 04Finish
  5. 05Hang
  1. Step 01 / 05Cut
    Step 1, cut the parts: every part of the rustic floating shelf, cut and laid out flat
    01

    Cut the parts

    Cut every part and rip the boards that need it: knotty-pine 1x boards for the box, and a 2x4 for the cleat, ripped so it fits inside the box.

    Tip

    Cut the longest parts first: if a cut goes wrong, the board is still long enough for a shorter part. Mark each part’s name on it in pencil as you go.

  2. Step 02 / 05Cleat
    Step 2, build the cleat: the rustic floating shelf so far, with the new parts shaded
    02

    Build the cleat

    Glue each arm to the rail and screw it on through the back of the rail, square to the rail and flush with its top and bottom.

    Tip

    Countersink the screws through the rail, so their heads sit flush and the cleat sits flat against the wall.

    One of our shelves beside its wall cleat: the rail screws to the wall, and its arms slide inside the hollow shelf
    One we built.
  3. Step 03 / 05Box
    Step 3, build the box: the rustic floating shelf so far, with the new parts shaded
    03

    Build the box

    Glue the top and bottom to the front and pocket-screw them from inside. The ends are too small for pocket holes: glue them in and brad-nail them through the top, bottom and front. The back stays open for the cleat.

    Tip

    Before the glue sets, slide the box over the cleat to check the fit: snug, but free to slide.

    One of our shelves on its own, in stained knotty pine, showing its square front, top and end
    One we built.
  4. Step 04 / 05Finish
    Step 4, sand and finish: the rustic floating shelf
    04

    Sand and finish

    Sand the box, then stain, oil or paint it, with a topcoat over stain.

    Tip

    Test the stain on an offcut first: on pine, a pre-stain conditioner evens it out.

    Three of our shelves stacked, stained, showing the knotty-pine grain and square edges
    One we built.
  5. Step 05 / 05Hang
    Step 5, hang the shelf: the rustic floating shelf
    05

    Hang the shelf

    Screw the cleat to the wall, level, into the studs. Slide the box over it until it meets the wall, then drive a screw up through the bottom into each arm.

    Tip

    The cleat sits inside the box a board’s thickness above its bottom, so draw the level line for the cleat, not the shelf. Mark each arm’s center on the wall just below it, to find the arms from underneath.

    Two of our stained floating shelves on a white bathroom wall
    One we built.

Built for you

Build it yourself, or we’ll build it.

Free build guide

This page

  • Every step, in order, with a picture
  • The parts, named
  • Tools and materials
  • A tip for each step

Built for you

From $92

  • Built to order in Flushing, Michigan, in any of the 8 sizes
  • Raw wood, oil-rubbed, stained or painted
  • Shipping to the lower 48 included
See the rustic floating shelf

Questions

Good to know.

Something else? Email sales@farmhouseurbandesign.com. We reply usually within an hour or two, always within 24 hours.

How much weight can a floating shelf hold?

Ours hold about 25 lb at 7″ deep or 20 lb at 10″ deep, with the cleat screwed into two studs. On drywall anchors alone, keep the load lighter.

Is the Modern Floating Shelf built the same way?

Yes: it’s the same box on the same hidden cleat, finished in paint. This guide builds either one.

Can I buy one built instead?

Yes: we build it to order in eight sizes, raw, oil-rubbed, stained or painted, with the cleat and fasteners included. See the rustic floating shelf.

Is there a guide for a pipe shelf?

Yes: our pipe shelf sets one pine board on ½″ black-pipe brackets, with an optional paper towel holder. Its guide is free too. How to build industrial pipe shelves.