For this project we're making floating shelves in a small bathroom nook using pocket holes and the Kreg Universal Rip-Cut Circular Saw Jig. It's an inexpensive project that can turn an otherwise unusable space into something functional and beautiful!
Tools
Kreg Tools
Other Tools
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Cordless impact driver
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Cordless drill
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Mitre saw
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Nail gun
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Small level
Materials
Wood Products
- 2 Poplar hardwood hobby board , 1/4-inch x 3-inch x 4 Feet
- 2 Sanded aspen plywood , 1/2-inch x 4 Feet x 8
- 2 Framing lumber , 1x2x8
Hardware & Supplies
- 1 Box of 1" Kreg screws (see tool list)
- 1 Box of 1" finishing nails
- 1 Wood filler
- 1 Paint or stain of choice
- 1 Box of 1.5" wood screws
Directions
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Prep all of your cuts
To start, prep all cuts. My shelves had to be cut 22.5” wide and 16.5” deep to fit into my nook. I
used the Kreg Universal Rip-Cut Circular Saw Jig to rip my plywood pieces to size. I then used
the mitre saw to cut the 1x2’s into 16” pieces.
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Drill pocket holes
Drill 2 pocket holes into each 1x2 piece, about 2-3 inches from the edge. These will be used to
attach to the plywood without any nail or screw holes. On the bottom shelves, I used the pocket
holes to attach the 1x2 to the top of the sheld, and on the top shelves, I used them to attach the
bottom piece of the shelf so that there are no holes to fill and no visible marks. -
Attach the supporting pieces
Find the right height for your shelves and screw 1x2 pieces on either side of the nook making
sure they are level. I made sure to leave extra space under the lowest shelf for a laundry
hamper, and all of the other shelves ate about 15” apart. Using your ⅕” wood screws and impact
driver, screw the 1x2’s into studs.
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Add the shelf top and bottom
Depending on which shelf you’re starting with, use pocket holes to attach the plywood pieces.
Again, on the bottom shelves, I used pocket holes to attach the top plywood piece and a nail
gun to attach the bottom since those holes will not be visible.
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Add the front piece
Once the tops and bottoms are on, use a nail gun and finishing nails to add the front piece on. I
only used 3 nails to minimize having to fill in any holes and filled those in with some wood filler.
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Repeat as needed
Depending on how many shelves you’d like, repeat the process! I made four evenly spaced
shelves, with extra room under the bottom one.
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Paint or stain
So long as you have the same wood species for the plywood and front cover piece, staining
would be no problem. I opted to paint mine in the same colour as the walls to really make them
look like they’re built into the nook.