Reclaimed Wood Shelves (Power Tool Challenge)

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On Tuesday, I revealed the new and improved guest bathroom!

One of the things I thought about in decorating the guest bathroom was how to include different textures in such a small space. There are so many smooth things in a bathroom – the counter, the vanity, the tub, the floor, the walls – that the space needed some texture to it.

I added a jute rug, which has a navy pattern in it and a nubby texture.

I added these planters, which provide warm wood and organic green from the succulents (click here for how I made these DIY wooden wall planters!).

And, to organize the bathroom and provide storage, I added shelves I made from reclaimed wood.

Today, I’m going to show you how I made the shelves. This post is part of January’s Power Tool Challenge, the theme of which is Organization! At the end of the post, I’ve linked to the other great projects from our amazing Power Tool Challenge team members!

OK, here’s how to make reclaimed wood shelves:

Materials

• Reclaimed wood – this can be old wood reclaimed from other projects, found at a salvage yard, or found on a trash heap. Or, you can take new wood and make it look old. I’ll write a separate post on how you do that, but suffice it to say that you can do it at a minimum with a sander and some stain.
  • You’ll have to figure out what size wood you need for the shelves, based on your space. For me, I wanted the shelves hung over the toilet. I knew that the wood pieces I had would work because they were wide enough to hold bathroom necessities, while not so wide that someone getting up from the toilet would bump his or her head on the shelf. (Don’t forget to account for that if you hang your shelves over the toilet, too!)
• Saw – Cut down any wood you’re using with either a circular saw or miter saw. I used my miter saw.
• Shelf brackets – I used ones I had bought at Lowe’s several years ago. Find ones that are consistent with the style or color of the room. Also, make sure they’ll hold the weight of the shelf you are installing.
• Sandpaper – 80-grit (for removing paint, if you need to), 120-grit and 220-grit (for a smooth finish). An electric sander is helpful here. THIS is the sander I have.
• Safety goggles and mask
• Rags
• Screws (to attach shelves to brackets and brackets to wall)
• Anchors (if you aren’t screwing the brackets into studs)
• Drill
• Orange oil or something like Howard Feed-N-Wax.
• Tape measure
• Level
• Pencil

Instructions

First, I got the wood into shape to be shelves. Now I get to reveal to you where I found this reclaimed wood!

One piece of my reclaimed wood (the one in the photo above) came from a salvage yard in Alabama that I visited when out exploring during Thanksgiving with relatives there. I don’t remember the name of the place. I just remember there was a pile of old wood and I asked if I could have it for $5 and they said yes.

I love how you can still see the original saw marks on the side of this wood!

The other piece of reclaimed wood I reclaimed from myself – it came from the door used for the guest room daybed! It was the bottom piece of the door I cut to be the headboard side!

I started by sanding both pieces of wood down. I used the electric sander first, with 80-grit sandpaper to get off any lingering paint or finish on the wood. Then I used 120-grit sandpaper on the reclaimed salvaged wood to get any splinters or rough spots off. Then I finished with 220-grit sandpaper (on both) to get a smooth finish.

After sanding the wood down, I wiped it down with a damp rag. I noticed that the reclaimed salvaged wood had a crack in it, so I filled it with wood glue and clamped it tightly.

I wiped off the excess glue and let it dry for 24 hours.

For the piece of the door, it was good to go once I had sanded off the old paint!

The side of the door piece – pretty wood!

I wiped the shelves down one last time with a damp rag, let them dry, then wiped them with some orange oil. You can also use Howard Feed-N-Wax for this – it works well, too. It really brought out the color and grain of the wood!

Next, hang the brackets. To do this, measure where you want the shelves and try to find studs near where you are hanging them. If you don’t have studs where you want to hang the shelves, use wall anchors – you don’t want your shelves to fall once you’ve hung them!

Make sure your measurements are accurate and level and attach the brackets to the wall with screws. Then, “dry fit” your shelves on the brackets. You’ll want to mark on the underside of the shelf where you’ll screw the shelf to the bracket. Then, pre-drill those holes. That will ensure the wood doesn’t split when you drill into  it.

Last, attach the shelves to the brackets with screws, using your drill.

Add your accessories and you have beautiful reclaimed wood shelves!

This was an easy project that could be completed in an afternoon, if you didn’t have to wait for wood glue to dry! You could use an old door for both shelves, or other found wood – the wood just needs to be able to bear the weight of whatever you are storing on the shelves.

Now, please check out the rest of the Power Tool Challenge Team’s awesome organization posts!

The Kim Six Fix – Under Cabinet Storage

My Repurposed Life – Repurposed Drawer Dog Toy Box

H2OBungalow – DIY Hanging Jewelry Organizer

Create And Babble – Pallet Wood Entryway Bench with Shoe Storage

Designed Decor – Repurposed Radio Cabinet Coffee Bar Drink Station

Domestically Speaking – Easiest DIY Drawer Organization

Refresh Restyle – Mudroom Storage Idea

My Love 2 Create – Drawer Storage Shelf

Virginia Sweet Pea – 2 x 4 DIY Shelving Unit Storage Shelf

Thrift Diving – DIY Pegboard Organizer