When Hubs and I attended an auction a few years ago I spotting a piece I thought would make a great DIY storage shelf. Specifically, it was the top half to what used to be part of someone’s buffet.
DIY Storage Shelf
At one time my find would have had a mirror (it was missing) and look similar to the one below found on Pinterest. It was in rough shape, so I was able to buy it for only $5 because no one was interested! I knew it had potential and I’d find a use for it one day.
Hubs really didn’t care for my $5 find at the time (as he liked to remind me up until the makeover), but he kindly still stripped and refinished it for me.
After a new coat of stain and lacquer it languished on some hooks in our basement for years gathering dust, until one day Hubs started construction on my craft studio.
Space to Hang DIY Storage Shelf
With my craft studio underway I had to find a place to hang it. At 50″ in width, it takes up quite a bit of space. Poor Hubs lugged it all around my studio, holding it up against the wall so I could step back to visualize. In the end I thought it would make a great catch-all shelf right above my serger in my sewing room!
But first, we have to do something about adding extra storage.
Add Pegboard to DIY Storage Shelf
All I need to complete my vision is a piece of pegboard cut to fit where the mirror used to be. I have plenty of pegboard to repurpose from my old studio; there’s nothing better than free scraps! More recently, we also make this pegboard craft organizer and also show how to hang sliding pegboard.
After Hubs paints the peg board a glossy crimson orange, we gather a point driver tool and some points:
We flip the shelf over face side down, insert the pegboard and space the points around the perimeter every six inches or so.
The wood is difficult to drive into so it takes a bit of grunt work on Hubs part…
…to wedge them in so they’d hold the pegboard securely:
Adding Functionality
Once the pegboard is complete, I thought it looked great but I still have an idea to improve its functionality even more.
Hubs cuts me a scrap piece of sheet metal and paints it the same orange as the pegboard. He drills holes in all four corners to coincide with the peg holes. Then I position the metal panel off-centre, using nuts and bolts to attach it. While Hubs fastens the nuts from the back, I tighten each bolt an allen key.
Here’s a closeup of how the fastener looks from the front:
And here it is from the back showing the nut that holds it on:
Magnetic Containers
We flip it right side up again so I could add these magnetic storage containers:
The magnetic containers are so useful! Now I’ll have somewhere to store my sewing machine needles, pins, thread bobbins, various sewing feet and any other small item I might need quick access to in the sewing room!
There are 5 holes along the bottom of the shelf. I’m planning on installing cup hooks there to disguise the holes – and to hang my scissors from so they’ll always be handy:
Since the shelf is going above my serger, I’ll likely have cones of thread sitting on top of it too. Here’s a rendering of where we’ll be hanging it (on the wall in the far room).
However, I won’t be hanging the shelf until we actually move my industrial equipment from my old studio to this one. First, I want to make sure the shelf will really function well. My biggest hesitation is whether the pendant light that will be hanging over the sewing table for task lighting will impede access to the shelf.
For now the shelf/memo board is leaning up against the wall I plan to mount it on. You’ll see the final reveal once my studio is finished and it is hung on the wall and accessorized!
UPDATE October 2016: Click here for the final reveal of my craft studio! Unfortunately this shelf didn’t make it into the studio, but you’ll see what did! This project only set us back $10 because we had the pegboard and sheet metal. So I wouldn’t hesitate to reinvent it again; I’m tempted to paint the wood and find another place in the house for it!
Office-Inspired Crafts
In the meantime, here are a few recent office-inspired crafts I’ve been working on in anticipation of having a dedicated studio (click on the images for the tutorials):
Catch up on some my previous posts before the final reveal in the Making of a Craft Studio series:
- The Making of a Craft Studio– Calling All Crafters: Help Me Decide the Best Layout for my New Studio
- The Making of a Craft Studio (II)– Design Your Space Using Ikea’s Pax Planner!
- The Making of a Craft Studio (III) – If You Build It, She Will Come!
- Small Craft Room Ideas (IV) – Progress Report!
At Birdz of a Feather, we’re feathering the nest… one room at a time. Follow our blog here to see other DIY projects, in and around the home. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
What a fun, functional piece. I can’t wait to see it on the wall.
You and me both 🙂
??