DIY Hanging Bedside Wood Shelf
Updated on June 25, 2021
When you don’t have a lot of time or if you have a small budget, creating simple hanging shelves is a great alternative. Buying a table or nightstand can be costly, so this is an inexpensive alternative that can work well for renters or if you just moved in your house. Hanging shelves not only add a rustic element to you home décor, but you can also move them to any space in the house as well. This hanging shelf will provide a small ledge, as a side table for books and plants.
You can purchase wood that’s linear and more square or rectangular, or you can use more of an abstract piece of wood. If you’re looking for a larger piece, most hardware stores carry larger pieces that can be cut to the size you need. Keep in mind the space that it’s going in. A smaller piece will do well as a side shelf, night stand or side table, and a larger piece will probably do better as hanging shelf in the kitchen for dishes.
You will need: a board of wood, leather cord or rope. The thicker the shelf the thicker the rope you’ll need. If you want your shelf to be, for example, ½ to 1” thick and 36” long, you may want to consider using a heavy duty rope instead of leather cord. The leather cord or thinner rope and a small wood slab should do well for a mini shelf. You’ll also need a drill with the correct sized drill bit for the holes (I used 1/4 for this shelf) and hook to hang the finished product. The drill bit used should be slightly thicker than the rope used. If you want to stain the wood, you’ll need a pair of gloves, a cloth and wood stain. You can also paint the wood to match your décor.
If staining, stain the boards before drilling, using your preferred stain and then wipe it off with an old rag. Use the gloves to keep your hands stain-free. If painting, make sure the paint dries before drilling the holes. This will ensure that no sawdust ruins the paint.
First, mark your holes with a pencil so that they’re evenly spaced apart. I’ve marked mine about 6-7 inches apart from each other.
I recommend drilling three to four holes in the wood for the rope- three holes for a small shelf and four holes for a larger one. With a pencil, mark the dot on the shelf where each of the three holes will be drilled. For a mini shelf, drill the holes with a 1/4 drill bit, evenly spaced apart.
Cut three equal pieces of rope or cord for the shelf. Thread the rope through the pre-drilled holes and make a knot at the end. Use a bamboo skewer or thin pencil to help thread the rope through the hole.
Make sure that the knot tied is secure and strong enough to hold the weight of the shelf with objects on it. String the cord through again if it needs extra support or make a double knot to ensure it won’t slip through!
Measure how long you want the shelf to hang and make sure the shelf is level before it’s tied off. Hang the shelf using wall hooks. You can use command strips or screw hooks for the wall or ceiling. Hang this shelf in any room in the house to give it a bit of rustic flair!