If you have lots of plants or knickknacks that you want to display but need a place to display them, consider installing glass shelves. Rounded glass shelves work well in small areas. Be sure to use shelves that don't completely fill the space where you're installing them. For example, try using 14" shelves in a 16" space. Materials:
Glass shelves and brackets
Level
Hammer
Finish nails
Wood screws
Toggle bolts or dry-wall molly bolts
Drill, with drill bits and driver bits
Safety glasses
- Mark the walls at the height you want the shelves. Draw a level line at each mark (figure A).
- Position the shelf bracket (figure B), and mark the mounting holes with a pencil or an awl. Drive a finish nail into the wall at each spot. If the nail doesn't hit a stud, you'll need to use wall anchors such as toggle bolts or molly bolts.
- Drill pilot holes if necessary, and secure the shelf brackets to the wall with screws.
- Insert the rubber gasket (provided) into the bracket (figure C). You might want to spread some liquid soap over the gasket to help it slide into the bracket more easily.
- Attach end caps (figure D) to the bracket, and slide the glass shelves into place (figure E).
Building Your Own Shelf Brackets To fill a larger area, you might want to build your own shelf brackets and have tempered-glass shelves cut at a glass store or home-improvement center. Materials:
1" x 4" finished pine boards
1/2" quarter round or other decorative trim
Hammer
Small finish nails
Nail set
Drill, with drill bits, countersink bit and driver bits
Wood screws
Tempered glass shelves
Spacers the same thickness as the shelves
Wood glue
Stud sensor
Wood stain or paint and brush
Safety glasses
- Draw a design of your project before you begin. Cut two vertical support pieces to the desired length. Cut four pieces of decorative molding to the same length.
- Determine the distance you want between the shelves, and cut shelf supports to that length (figure F). Cut four supports for each shelf.
- To attach the shelf supports to the vertical pieces, run a bead of glue near the top edge of each shelf support (figure G), and position the support on the side edge of the vertical piece (figure H). Use a spacer to hold the shelf support in place while the glue dries (figure I).
- Drill pilot holes through the shelf supports and vertical pieces (figure J ), and secure the supports to the vertical pieces with screws. Attach shelf supports on both sides of the vertical pieces.
- Place spacers the same thickness as the glass between the support pieces (figure K).
- After installing all the supports, attach trim to cover the screw heads (figure L) and paint or stain the entire unit.
- Locate and mark the studs where you plan to attach the vertical support pieces. Then mark the location of the top of the support system, and draw a level line along that mark (figure M).
- Line up the first support piece with the level line, and countersink a pilot hole through the support and into the wall stud.
- Secure the support to the wall with a wood screw. Leave the screw loose enough that the support can be adjusted for plumb. When the support is plumb, finish securing it to the wall. Repeat the procedure for the other vertical support. When the supports are secured to the wall, cover the screw holes with wood filler, and touch up the paint as necessary.
- Slide the glass shelves into the support system (figure N).
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