Easy Suspended Shelving Tutorial
Hey everyone, Corey from Sawdust 2 Stitches here. Happy to be back and have I got an awesome tutorial for you today! This project is extremely versatile, and a very EASY build. It can be made in a larger scale for a library, or media center perhaps? Or make it small and fill that awkward space in the powder room! It’s cheap, it’s easy, AND it’s got character. It doesn’t get much better than that !
How to Make Suspended Shelving
Materials Used:
- (14) 2.5″ Cup hooks
- 6′ Link Chains
- Stain
- Spray Paint
- 2×8″ (8′)
- 1×2″ (8′)
- Wall Color Paint
Tools Suggested:
- Miter Saw
- Sander
- Pliers
- Drill (with a 1/8″ drill bit)
Cut List:
- (3) 2×8″ @ 33″
- (4) 1×2″ @33″
Prepping Boards:
Let’s get started! Begin my prepping your boards. Cut all 2×8’s and 1×2’s. ( The size can vary, just be sure to add extra hooks and chains if you increase the size significantly.)
After cutting I pre-drilled the holes for the hooks. I used a 1/8″ drill bit. ( this just makes it easier to screw in the hooks.)
I repeated the same process on the 1×2″ as well.
Next, sand down all of the boards so that they are all smooth, and prepped for either painting or priming.
Painting/Staining:
I chose to stain my boards in Jacobean by Minwax. I did not want to bring a lot of attention to the support ( 1×2″), so I opted to paint it to match my wall color. One the boards are dry, they are ready to be installed.
Install:
At this point I installed my hooks into the pre-drilled locations. Extra Credit: I chose to spray paint all my hardware using Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze.)
Once the hooks are in place, you will need to attach your 1×2’s to the wall. I spaced mine 14.5″ from the bottom of the board to the bottom of the next board. ( I know that sounds a little confusing, so I included a little diagram below.)
When attaching the board to the wall, make sure you hit studs. (They are generally 16″ apart.)
After attached you can fill the screw hole with nail hole filler, sand, and then paint.
Now you will need to connect the 2 hooks with the chain. Rest the 2×8″ on top of the 1×2″. Gravity should make this fairly sturdy, but for peace of mind you can always tack this in place with a nail gun; shooting down through the 2×8″ into the 1×2″ .
Look how pretty it turned out!
I even decided to add a few extra hooks to the bottom shelf to use as mug hooks.
I love it. 
Thanks so much for reading!
Corey from Sawdust2Stitches
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More DIY shelves:
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Corey is the voice and grunt labor behind Sawdust 2 Stitches, she freely professes, that she has a problem... She CANNOT leave well enough alone.
She can typically be found hunched over a sewing machine and/or covered in sawdust. All in the effort to create a perfect balance of aesthetics and practicality in her home.
Love them. They look so nice.
Thank you so much Pam!
These shelves look easy to do and are very unique. Love them! My 1 question about using screw hooks: will the hooks pull out of the wood if something heavy, like books, are stacked on shelves?
Hi Linda,
Corey can give you more details, but the shelves are also braced from below, so I imagine heavier items would be fine. Thanks for the comment!