Learn how to build floating shelves, even if you have uneven walls!

When we did our IKEA living room basement makeover, one of the first things I knew I wanted to do was to add custom DIY floating bookshelves. 

Our basement is long but narrow and has a very low ceiling, so we were limited on what kind of furniture we could use without making customizations.  

Oh, and speaking of customizations, our DIY bar cabinet is one of my favorite custom furniture IKEA hacks!

FUN FACT: We found a “trashy beach novel” from the 1960s hidden in the basement when we moved in. We wanted to keep the fun going for the next people who might live here someday, so we built it into one of the DIY floating bookshelves. So now it’s kind of like our own little secret time capsule! 😉 

P.S. I’ve joined a group of 38 amazing home DIY bloggers for At Home DIY. We’ll each be sharing our own twist on a theme each month. This month, it’s “build to organize,” and I can’t think of a better time to finally share our DIY floating shelves! There’s a link-up of all this month’s projects at the end of this post. 

Until I started looking through the photos for this project, I had totally forgotten that I was like 73 months pregnant when we built our DIY floating shelves.

Holy cow, you guys. Look at that belly!

Why to Make Invisible DIY Floating Bookshelves

It’s always easier to buy furniture that’s ready-made, and sometimes that even makes the most sense. 

But there are a few reasons why to DIY floating bookshelves instead of just buying a bookcase at your nearest furniture store:

• Make bookshelves in any size you need. The space between the shelves, the width of the shelves, and how high they go are all totally customizable.
• Choose the finish. Pick your favorite wood, and paint or stain the DIY shelves however you like. 
• Use high quality materials. Instead of cheap laminate and particle board, you can have solid wood shelves that will hold up much better over time.

Tips for Building DIY Floating Shelves

• It’s a two-person job. You could probably do this by yourself if you were building short shelves. But if you’re going to do long ones like we did on the right side of the wall, you’ll need a second person to help with sawing and assembling. 
• Measure the width of the wall for each shelf if you’re building them in between walls like we did. Many walls are not perfectly parallel and perfectly even. If you build one size of floating shelf for uneven walls, you’ll have a too-tight fit in some spots and a too-loose fit in other spots. Our measurements were different by as much as 3/4″ in width between the top shelf and the bottom shelf. 
• Use a t-square to get your angles right when building the shelf frames. Being off by just a little bit can make a huge difference on a long shelf!
• Paint or stain the wood separately before you assemble anything. It’s so much easier to do without having to worry about it dripping into the cracks between the wood. 
• Use a level, but don’t be afraid to eyeball it if it seems way off. It turns out our floors are way off level, so leveling the DIY floating bookshelves with just a level actually made them look really crooked!
• A nail gun makes the work much easier and more professional-looking. Whether you borrow one from a friend, rent one, or invest in one like we did, it makes all the difference! It was especially helpful for putting the face plates on the fronts of each DIY floating shelf. 

How to Build Floating Shelves Between Uneven Walls

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all tutorial with building plans. Heck, none of our shelves were even the exact same size because of our crazy walls!

Instead, I’m going to walk you through how we built them with various tips so that you can figure out how to build floating bookshelves for your own space.

If you have questions, leave a comment, and I’m happy to answer the best I can!

P.S. This is the same whether you have your shelves sandwiched between two walls (like ours on the right side) or floating in the middle of a wall (like ours on the left side). 

Supplies

The amount of lumber you’ll need will depend on the size of your floating shelves and how many shelves you are building. My supply list contains affiliate links, so I may make a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to you. 

Tools to Build a DIY Floating Shelf

• Drill
• Stud finder
• Level
• Measuring tape
• T-square or triangle woodworking ruler
• Saw
• Paint brush
• Wood screws
• Optional (but super helpful!)
  • Nail gun
  • Air compressor
  • Brads

Supplies to Build Floating Shelves 

• Lumber
  • 2 x 2 x 8 furring strips for the frame/base
  • 1/4″ thick birch plywood for the top and bottom
  • 1 x 3 x 8 select pine for the front edge (and optional sides)
• Liquid nails
• Sandpaper
• Paint or stain

Building Instructions

1. Start by building a frame for each shelf using the furring strips. Put cross-beams every 8 inches for stability, using a t-square to make sure you have right (90-degree) angles. 

I recommend using a nail gun to tack the frame together initially. Once you’re sure you have everything put together properly and at right angles, you can screw the frame together to give it more durability. 

2. Cut a piece of plywood for the top and bottom of the shelf. It should be exactly the same size as the finished shelf frame. 

3. Cut a front (and two sides if your shelf won’t be sandwiched between two walls) from the select pine that is the length of the shelf frame and the height of the shelf frame plus the two pieces of plywood. You may need to do a rip cut along the full length if it’s too tall.  

3. Sand the top, bottom, front, and optional sides. Stain or paint them, and let them dry. 

4. Use the nail gun to attach the bottom piece of plywood to the frame. 

5. Position the shelf frame with the top open where you want it on the wall, and make sure it’s level. 

6. Screw the back of the frame into the wall at every stud that it touches. Use long screws for better support. 

7. Use the nail gun to attach the top of the shelf once you’ve finished screwing it into the wall. 

8. Use Liquid Nails to attach the front (and sides if you’re using them). 

9. Use the nail gun to tack the front (and sides if you’re using them) onto the frame to hold it on while the Liquid Nails dries. The nails are so small that they won’t be noticeable. 

10. If you’re sandwiching the shelf between two walls, you’ll probably have some dents, scratches, and chips in the paint from pushing the shelf into place. Use the wall paint and a small paintbrush to touch up any spots that need it. 

Printable Instructions: How to Build Floating Shelves

Yield: 1

How to Build Floating Shelves for Uneven Walls

Print

Learn how to build floating shelves and all my tips and tricks for DIY floating bookshelves. Get a totally modern, minimal, beautiful wooden shelving system to organize a living room or any room in your home!

Prep Time 2 hours

Active Time 4 hours

Total Time 6 hours

Difficulty Advanced

Materials

• 2 x 2 x 8 furring strips for the frame/base
• 1/4" thick birch plywood for the top and bottom
• 1 x 3 x 8 select pine for the front edge (and optional sides)
• Liquid nails
• Sandpaper
• Paint or stain

Tools

• Drill
• Stud finder
• Level
• Measuring tape
• T-square or triangle woodworking ruler
• Saw
• Paint brush
• Wood screws
• Optional: Nail gun, air compressor, and brads

Instructions

1. Build a frame with the furring strips. Put cross-beams every 8 inches for stability.
2. Cut a piece of plywood for the top and bottom of the shelf. It should be exactly the same size as the finished shelf frame. 
3. Cut a front (and two sides if your shelf won't be sandwiched between two walls) from the select pine that is the length of the shelf frame and the height of the shelf frame plus the two pieces of plywood.  
4. Sand and paint or stain all wood except the frame. You only need to do the tops and edges of the plywood.
5. Use the nail gun or a hammer and nails to attach the bottom piece of plywood to the frame. 
6. Place the shelf frame with the bottom but no top where you want it on the wall, and screw it into every stud that it touches. 
7. Attach the plywood top to the frame.
8. Use Liquid Nails to attach the front and optional sides. You can use the nail gun to hold them in place while they dry.
9. Touch up any scratches or gouges in the wall with a small paintbrush.

Notes

• I recommend using a nail gun to tack the frame together initially. Once you're sure you have everything put together properly and at right angles, you can screw the frame together to give it more durability. 

This Month’s At Home DIY Projects

1905 Farmhouse, Abbots at Home, Bitterroot DIY, By Brittany Goldwyn, Creative Ramblings, Cribbs Style, Delicious & DIY, DIY Beautify, DIY Danielle, Dukes and Duchesses, Girl, Just DIY, Happily Ever After, Etc, Health, Home & Heart, House by the Bay Design, House on Longwood Lane, Just Measuring Up, Kenya Rae, Little Bits of Home, Living Letter Home, My Kitchen My Craft, Pinspired to DIY, Red Cottage Chronicles, Refashionably Late, Renovating Mapleson Manor, Savvy Apron, Shine Your Light, Songbird Blog, Southern Revivals, T.Moore Home, The DIY Dreamer, The DIY Village, The Frugal Homemaker, The Handyman’s Daughter, Two Feet First, What Meegan Makes, Zucchini Sisters