Living with Art: Making Found Object Shelves for Display

Last week, I redid a wall in my house to maximize my display capabilities.

In the process, I also created shelves out of old 45 records:

This week, I’ll show you how ridiculously easy it is to make your own shelves.  If you don’t have old 45s, that’s a total non-issue.  You can use CDs, old coasters, hardcover books – whatever you have lying around that’s flat and can be drilled.  The heavier the objects you want to display, the sturdier the objects you’ll need for your shelves, which is to say, please don’t perch a priceless glass vase on a playing card.

For this project, you will need:

• Flat objects
• A drill
• Brackets in an appropriate size for your found objects
• A pencil
• Nuts and bolts to secure the brackets
• Drywall screws (or hammer and nails)

1.  If your objects are round like mine, you’ll want to start by cutting them in half.  I used a random pair of scissors from my kitchen, but I’m sure metal shears would have made the task easier.

You’ll notice I broke a record doing this.  It happens.

2.  Mentally divide your object in half.  In the middle of each half (roughly speaking), you’ll want a bracket.  Position the first bracket over the object and trace the hole with a pencil.   Repeat on the other side.

3.  Punch or drill holes into your object, then attach your bracket using small bolts (I used 8 3/4″).

4. If your shelf is ready to hang, hold it up to the wall and use your pencil to trace the holes in the brackets, then attach the shelf to the wall using drywall screws.

 

5.  If you want to add a top piece to your shelf (as I did), hold another piece – or the other half of your original piece – over the brackets, trace the holes, and drill the object.   If you have drywall screws, you can attach the piece to the wall that way.

 

If you don’t have drywall screws – and you aren’t going to display anything of any weight – you can get away with a hammer and nails.  Attach the top of your piece to the bracket using another bolt, then create a separate set of holes for nails, as I did here in the “C” and the “A” of Columbia:

 

And that’s it!  You can create display shelves that fit your space, your color scheme, your interests, and your budget!