How to Use DIY Skinny Wood Picture Ledges
August 17, 2020
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Ways to use DIY wood picture ledges all over your home!
I've blogged about these easy wood ledges/shelves before, but they are SO easy to build and so versatile, I thought it would be worthwhile sharing how I've used them all over our home.
They're great for displaying art and framed photos, but also a wonderful way to corral small collectibles or decor items.
I made some for our family room first -- these shelves are the perfect spot to layer framed photos:
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You can buy these picture ledges online of course -- but they are usually shorter than what I've wanted. And you'll pay way less for these if you make them.
These are a perfect beginning DIY project because the wood can either be cut down at the store, or you can cut it yourself with just a miter box and saw.
Then I made one for our master bathroom -- it's great storage spot for bath necessities or just pretty stuff:
I went LONG for my next version. These are super long, eight foot ledges I made for our basement:
You can see more about that wall of toy and game storage here. The size of these wood ledges is perfect for art or small decorative items. Our son's Funko Pops fit perfectly. :)
He has been into Legos since he was four years old, so you can imagine the collection we have! He had a lot of his little Lego figurines (called Brickheads) along theses shelves as well, but it was getting cluttered.
So I whipped up a few more shorter ledges to hold all of those and free up the game area a bit. It took maybe an hour, start to finish. You just need three pieces of wood and the sizes can be changed based on your needs.
Just for comparison -- I found these ledges online and 36 inches (the size above) is $89 EACH. 😳 I used basic, cheaper pine for these (usually I use select pine) and I spent $20 for all three (plus I have some leftover wood).
I'm not mad at ya if you want to buy them, I get it! Sometimes I'd rather buy than build. But this just goes to show how much you can save doing them yourself.
I later cut down those super long shelves when I built a fireplace on that wall in our basement:
I got six shelves out of the two longer ones.
You can paint or stain them easily, but I usually stain just because it's faster. But they would be beautiful in bright white on a dark wall! A fun pop of color in a kid's space...the possibilities are endless!
Use them for frames and art, or if you have wall space in a kitchen you could line up your favorite cookbooks and trinkets. I just love them because they are so easy to throw together, but look SO good for such a small price:
Have you added these simple ledges anywhere in your home? I think you'll love them!
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You inspired me to build my own a few years ago and we made two for trophies in my son's room. We just did a room refresh this summer for my almost 13 year old and he still loves them, we just put them end to end to make a longer shelf for his home run baseballs and he's a happy camper! I have always loved your style and you give me confidence to do projects like these to make our home a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS IDEA! I SO PLAN TO USE IT WHEN RANDY AND I GET OUR HOME TOGETHER! BEST IDEA!
ReplyDeleteI made one of these for my front hallway a couple of weeks ago! I love it. Thanks so much for sharing the plans.
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