When I think of my dream home, I think about a house with an amazing storage space, where everything has its own place, and can be accessed easily… and put away after it is used! Wouldn’t that be AMAZE BALLS! So to make my storage dreams come true, I decided to create a storage system in the extra space storage area in our furnace room… HELLO DIY Storage Shelves! And since Shawnikins currently has enough projects on the go, I figured out a way that I could make these with little to no help from him!! AND YOU CAN MAKE THEM TOO!! You will amaze yourself… If I can make 2 of these bad boys… You can too!! Check em out!!
Welcome to my nightmare of a storage room!! This is actually A LOT less than what WAS being stored in this room. I wish I had got a REAL before shot, but I decided to do a tutorial of my extra space storage shelves, after I had already cleared out half of the junk that was in this room. Imagine no floor space visible, storage bins over flowing everywhere, craft supplies and fabric flying through the air… A NIGHTMARE!!!
CAUTION… BEWARE!!!
BEFORE PHOTOS OF STORAGE ROOM…
VIEW OF STORAGE ROOM TO THE RIGHT OF THE ENTRANCE
VIEW OF STORAGE ROOM TO THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE
DIY EXTRA SPACE STORAGE SHELVES TUTORIAL
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- Wood
- 12 – 2 by 4s that are 8 feet long.
- 2 – 4 foot by 8 foot OSB or plywood sheets.
- Construction Screws
- 3 inch construction screws for the frame.
- 1 1/2 inch construction screws for adding the plywood to the frame
- Drill (I use this one)
- Drill Bit ( I used this one)
- Measuring device (I used a quilting ruler, because that’s how I roll… but a measuring tape your do the job!)
- Square (I used this one)
- Wood Clamp
- Level
- Ladder or Tall Step Stool
- Your own MUSCLES!!!!
WOOD CUTS:
- Cut 21 inches off of 4 of your 8 foot long 2 by 4s (these will become the legs)
- Cut 2 of your 8 foot boards into 21 inch pieces. You should get 4 pieces plus a bit extra that you can discard out of each 2 by 4 (these will be your support beams)
- Cut your OSB or plywood in half length ways to create 2 – 2 foot by 8 foot sheets of wood. (you will have one extra that you can discard or use to create another storage shelf).
TIP: I got all of my wood cut at RONA before bringing it home. Saved me the cutting work! Don’t hesitate to ask them to cut your wood for you. It did cost me an extra $5, but totally worth it!
METHOD:
Step 1: Create the frames of your 3 platforms. Place two 8 foot long 2 by 4s with three – 21 inch support beams between them. Like this… Screw them together with 3 inch construction screws. I placed 3 screws at each connection.
TIP: To make sure your whole project is squared up use a square to make sure all of your angles are straight, or at perfect 90 degree angles. Like this…
Make 3 shelf frames! and stand them on their sides like this…
TRUTH MOMENT: Since I made 2 of these DIY storage shelves, I learned a little from my first attempt to make my second all on my own. On my first shelf I added the plywood top to these platforms before adding the legs. which made it VERY VERY HEAVY! I needed to ask Shawn to help lift the shelf up and I wanted to be able to make them without needing him at all. So for the second storage shelf I added the legs, flipped the shelf on its legs all by myself (MUSCLES!!!), and then added the plywood.
Step 2: Add the first leg to your shelf frames!
- First lay all of your shelf frames on their sides like the photo above. Then lay your first leg of your shelf on the ground up against all three ends of your shelf frames and measure 21 inches from the bottom of the leg to the bottom of the first shelf. Like this…
- Screw the first leg into the first shelf frame.
- Then measure 21 1/2 inches from the top of the first shelf frame to the bottom of the second shelf frame. And screw the leg onto the second shelf frame.
- Then measure 1/2 inch down from the top of the leg (easier to measure from the top at this point) and screw your leg onto the 3rd shelf frame. (the 1/2 inch is to accommodate the plywood platform)
Step 3: Add your second Leg of your shelf. Due to gravity you will need to find a way to hold up the top of the leg to the 3rd shelf frame while you screw in the bottom of your leg to the first shelf frame. To do the I used a clamp to rest the top of the leg on as I screwed in the bottom. Like this…
- Add a clamp.
- rest your wood leg on it. Like this…
- Then screw your leg onto the shelf frames. Making sure that the measurements are the same as the first leg. (see Step 2)
NOTE: I used 5 three inch construction screws at every connection where a leg is attached to the shelf frames. Like this…
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other end of your selves to add your 3rd and 4th legs.
Step 5: Now that your frame is built on its side and on the ground… you will need to left it up on its feet!!! I know!! You can do it!! I did this alone by standing in the frame between the 2nd and 3rd shelf, and lifting the 3rd shelf up and over my head. WAALAA! Or you can ask for help if you don’t feel the need to do a construction project alllllll byyyyyy yourself… As I did. LOL!
It should look like this!
At this point I took a level and made sure everything was hunky dorky. Which it should be if all your measurements are correct, and your floor is level. You can make small adjustments if you need to my just re doing a few screws. Perfection!
Step 6: Add the plywood platforms to your shelves!
- Lay your plywood on each shelf and use 1 1/2 inch construction screws along the edges to make it secure. Like this…
- As you get to the top shelf you will need a ladder or tall step stool to be able to add your screws. Unless you are like 6’6” like my Shawnikins. But he wasn’t building this project… so I used a step stool. Like this…
DONE!! Enjoy it in all its glory!!!….
This storage shelf can hold the biggest totes that we have, plus room for more.
And then make another one!! Lol.
And then fill it will all your junk! Lol…
I’d love for all of our totes to match, but that really isn’t in the budget right now. Instead I got a label maker (found here) and labelled all of the totes, so that I don’t have to go digging around to find what I need.
P.S. I got blisters from going label crazy!! Use caution!! Lol…
To finish the room off I added some carpets that we are currently not using in the rest of our home (the cement floors are so cold, now I don’t have to wear shoes to visit my new storage shelves!!)
This makes me so happy!! Each of our holiday decoration totes are now organized, so I can use them… and then put them away in their own spot! Easy peasy. I was even able to add all of our Christmas decorations to this storage room (they were previously in an under the stairs storage area). YAY! All of our stuff now fits in one organized storage room!
I hope this extra space storage post inspired you to take on an organization project for yourself! You really don’t need to wait for anyone else, to start creating awesome storage today! By utilizing RONA’s cutting station, and your determination, you can build anything!!
Until next time, do something out of your comfort zone, enjoy creating amazing organization, and create beautiful things every day!
XO JCL
P.S. Looking for another fun wood working project?!?! Check out my DIY Growth Chart Tutorial!
How much weight do you think these shelves can hold? Do they sag in the middle at all?
Mine are very strong. They hold about 8 large totes full of stuff (I don’t have heavy weights stored in them though), and 4 more totes fit on the ground under the shelves. If you wanted to up the strength you could use thicker OSB boards but I don’t think it is needed. they do not sag at all. enjoy your new shelves! Jenna
Nice project with good plans. I have a question concerning attaching the legs. Is there a good chance that the screws for the legs could potentially hit the screws that were used on the frame? What is the remedy?
Thanks Tim! Good question. I wondered the same when I was making this storage unit. Surprisingly I didnt hit a single screw. I think the remedy would be to move the screw that hit the first screw. I hope this helps! Enjoy your new storage unit!
Jenna – Thank you for the quick reply.
I ended up using only two (2 ) 3” screws on each frame corner – one at the top of the frame and one at the bottom of the frame. Each frame had a total of 8 screws.
For the legs I used 3 inch 5/16 “ lag screws. One of the lag screws went through the leg and into the short side of the frame. The second lag screw went through the leg and into the edge of the long side of the frame. I put the edge lag screw in between the two 3” screws so that there would not be any hindrance. It worked quite well and stiffened the unit up really well.
Do you have a place to post photos?
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that you found a way that worked plus it gave extra strength! I don’t have the ability for you to add photos here on the blog, but I have an Instagram account you can link your photos to. Just tag me on Instagram at @makingthingsisawesome or https://www.instagram.com/makingthingsisawesome/. I look forward to seeing your awesome storage shelves!
I have a concrete basement too, but I am curious, did the 2x4s that are on the concrete warp due to the moisture from the concrete? I was told I should try treated 2x4s. I am looking forward to building my shelves! Thanks! Jennifer
Thanks Jennifer. I’m so excited for you to build them too!! No I have had these for a couple years now and their has been no warping. However, if you are concerned about warping you can up a vaper barrier (such as some plastic or some sore of pad on the bottom of the legs that touch the concrete floor). I think a barrier would be an easy option instead of the extra cost of treated wood. I hope this helps! Enjoy your new storage!!
What width osb did you use?
I used a 3/4 inch OSB board. It came in a 4 foot x 8 foot sheet. Which I then cut in half to make 2 foot x 8 foot boards. Hope this helps!
These shelves actually look like an attainable project to do myself!!! Question on your materials… with the materials listed did you get one complete shelving unit made (with the three shelves) or two? And what were the final dimensions of the shelving unit? I may need to cut down on the dimensions to fit my space but I wanted to see what I was working with.
Chrissy you CAN do it! The materials listed are for one unit. But you will have extra OSB board so if you are planning on making 2 units you will only need one more OSB board. I cut my 8 x 4 feet OSB board in half lengthwise to make the shelves 8 x 2 feet each (you can get the store to cut them to the size you need if you don’t have the tools to do it yourself at home). So the length of the whole unit is 8 feet plus the 2 (2 x 4’s) which are actually only 1 1/2 inches wide (these 2 x 4’s are the legs). Then the whole unit is 2 feet wide and I made it 6 feet tall. You can make any adjustments by cutting it down to make it fit your space! You got this girl! High five!!
I used your instructions and the shelves turned out perfect!! Thank you for your advice and pertinent information. You are awesome!!!
Thanks so much Craig! So glad that you were able to create some awesome shelves too. Have an awesome day!
did you pre-drill the holes for each of the screws ? Or did you just screws through the wood. Love this project – I am going to attempt this the weekend!
Awesome! Thanks Kim! I just screwed through the wood. No need to predrill holes in this project! You got this!
I ended up having to pre-drill the holes in my boards because my drill were not strong enough, but it turned out great still. It took me 2 weekends to finish, but from looking at your profile pic, I might be your mother’s age 🙂
So Awesome Kim! High five to getting it done! Doesn’t it feel so good to get a big project done and get your storage room organized?!?! Thanks so much for sharing… P.S. Many tell me I look younger than I am. lol big hug!
Wow! What a difference in your storage area! I love how thorough you are on each detail. I never would have thought to use an Omnigragh for woodworking! Great idea. The finish shelves look so sturdy and appear strong enough to hold a lot of weight. I hate wimpy shelves that sag. Good job!
Thanks so much Jovane! I’m sure if I attached them to the wall the kids could use them as a jungle gym… JK… Id kill them… Lol…JK again… They do hold A LOT of weight!
Going to make these soon. How much weight would you say each 8ft shelf would hold? Thanks!!! Great job!
Hi Keith! Good question. I would say they would hold 5 large totes filled with normal storage stuff on each shelf. Wink! But if you are wanting to store something extra heavy I would say you could drill holes and use bolts instead of construction screws. Hope this helps. Have fun building!
I’ve been dying to do this for our garage! Looks awesome… maybe I can get my husband to commit to a weekend project with me! haha
Totally works for a Garage too! And you don’t need him… You got this… If you are not confident in cutting the wood yourself, you can get it done where ever you buy it, and just remember to build it without the OSB, then stand the shelf up and then add the OSB boards. It would be too heavy to lift on your own with the OSB boards already attached. I’d love to hear how you make out. Have an awesome day!
Awesome outcome. Nothing like getting organized.
Thanks Brie, YES! Dreamy Organization is my jam!
Wow you are the best organisers! Creative and disciplined.
Thanks so much!
Wow looks amazing!! Its tough to build large sturdy pre fab shelves! Great project
Thanks so much Danleigh!! Miss your guts! You should come over and check them out sometime! XO
I love the transformation. I need to do some extra shelving like this in my garage. Great inspiration to get me moving on a new project.
Awesome! I love to inspire creativity! You got this!
Wow! What a difference! I’m so impressed you did this by yourself. I wouldn’t even have known where to begin (although now I could just follow your instructions).
Lol! I have to admit I surprise myself sometimes… Lol! I think it was determination and a strong desire to have organization in my life! You can do it too! I’d love to hear how yours turn out!!
It looks sooo neat afterwards! That’s awesome you were able to build them yourself!
Thanks Kat! I recently came to the conclusion that if I wanted our house renos to move along faster, I would have to figure out way to do them myself. As Shawnikins works A LOT. (love him for it). I hope to find many more projects that are self attenable. Stay tuned!
What a great and useful project! I was just thinking I could do something to make our basement space more usable—might give this a try!
Yay! Do it! You will be so happy. Feels like clutter has been lifted off my back. Lol! Have an awesome time constructing and organizing! You got this!
Quite a transformation of your storage room and I bet you are very happy with it. Great job and good on you to have done it yourself!
Thanks so much Marijke!
I love a construction project! I love some of the tools that you’ve used to ensure accurate measurement. Definitely going to add these to my tool box. Thanks!
Thanks Charlotte! Lol a quilting ruler has so many uses!!
I need to tag my neighborhood HOA in this post, this is exactly what needs to be built in our events closet at the club house to properly house the totes and decor for each season. I would also love to put a set in our basement too, but we already started with the plastic shelves so I have to keep them all the same for now.
Totally! Thanks Jen! I was even considering painting them white. If you painted them and made them the same size as your plastic ones it may work?!?! Have an awesome day!
Your storage shelves turned out great! I was laughing at the first picture of your previous storage situation… looks very familiar. I’m afraid to go up to our attic because of the mess I know it is!
Lol. Thanks Cassie! and these photos were taken when I hade already removed a lot of the junk that was blocking the entrance. Be brave and get through it. You will feel so much better after. At least I do. Now I just want to sit in there and bask in my handy work. LOL.
I love this! Great idea! They look so sturdy and it makes everything look so organized:) Great pics and directions! Thanks for sharing, I have pinned for later:)
Thanks so much Kristina for spreading the love!
This looks like such an easy DIY and great for organizing! Great tutorial!!
Thanks so much Joanna! Easy Peasy!
Not you, but every one wants some storage managebale space room where we can put our spare items. You created nice DIY shelves. It keeps your space manageable and easy to access things.
Totally! I so agree. My whole life I have wanted a great storage area, so I finally decided to take it upon myself to create it! Have a beautiful day Anzah!