Makeover your Linen Closet with these DIY Closet Shelves

Time: 1 Hour

Cost: $20

Skill: Easy

I am not confident that I should be calling this project a “makeover”, it more than likely does not meet a level of cute/organized pinterest styling that is now associated with the term makeover.

Regardless, last week our linen closet was an unorganized shelf-less mess, and today, it neatly stores all the necessacities (as well as a few not-so-necessary necessities).

All thanks to these easy DIY Closet Shelves.

So when we remodeled our kitchen last year, we originally planned on having a slightly larger closet in this space. As the kitchen progressed we decided that we wanted to take some of that space and put a bookcase style built-in along that section of wall. We call it our liquor cabinet.

In doing this, we were left with a smaller 18 inch linen closet. Personally, I hate “stuff”, so the less closet space we have, the better!

Before I get on with the details of the closet, here is a closer look at that adorable knob. I discovered it in Pier One’s clearance knob bucket. It matches the Sherwin Williams Sea Salt paint perfectly, and it was exactly what I needed since there was no cutout for a regular knob on this door slab.

Building DIY Closet Shelves

Ok, now onto the technical part. Building those closet shelves.

Here is a dark glimpse of what I started with. There is no light in this small closet, so it was a challenge to get good pictures.

As you can see, completely empty, top-to-bottom.

Previously, we had just stacked things in there that we had no other space for. So I spent some time thinking about what I actually wanted in there, and where I needed the shelves to be.

I decided on two shelves, roughly 18 inches apart, starting 55 inches off the ground. This would allow me enough space to stack our two carry on luggage pieces in the back, and leave enough room for our vacuum cleaner, and steam mop to be easily accessible in the front.

I completed this project entirely with scrap wood from other projects. I have been building up quite the collection of common board in the garage, so I was happy to be able to use some of the shorter pieces.

Step One: Cut and Install Braces for the Closet Shelves

Using scrap 1×2’s I measured and cut them to roughly 17 inches (I made sure they were all the same, but I did not go crazy trying to pick a measurement) I knew I wanted the shelves to be about an 18″ x 18″ final product.

A slight cautionary tale, if you know your house is uneven. Do not measure both sides up from the floor. Get one brace in place at the desired height, and then use a level to do the one opposite it. Then work towards the next shelf in a similar fashion.

Otherwise, you may end up like me, with your left side being an inch off from the right and needing to unsecure it from the wall for a redo. How I underestimated such a discrepancy over a foot and a half of floor, I do not know, I should be used to this by now!

I also want to note that I only had one stud on each side. So I used a 3 inch screw to really connect it to the stud, and then secured the rest of it with MANY brad nails using my nail gun.

This was not my ideal plan, I would have preferred securing it to a stud, but there is really no way for my braces to slide given that they are up against the corner bead. They also will not be holding anything too heavy, so I anticipate this method working fine.

Note: If you do plan on storing heavy stuff, you could always install a third brace along the back wall. With these shelves only being 18″ I did not feel that it was necessary.

After I had all four braces in place, and I confirmed that everything was level (for the second time), I was ready to install the shelf piece.

Step Two: Install the Shelf Piece

Guess what? I also had scrap pieces of sanded plywood from when I built my lovely floating closet bench a few months ago. If you haven’t seen it, take a look. It is one of my favorite builds so far 🙂

Back to the somewhat less exciting shelves…

I measured from the back of the closet where the corner bead comes out, to the front of the braces. I knew that I would need to cut the general size of the board and then adjust to account for the fact that the space is not perfectly square.

I took my roughly 18″ x 18″ measurements and traced it onto the sheet of sanded plywood.

My tool base is limited, and we do not have a table saw (despite my husbands constant requests for one). We do have a circular saw, which is a bit dangerous to use given that I don’t have a proper table to use it on. After setting it to an inch depth (slightly deeper than the sheet of plywood) I took a few scraps and placed them around the board to create a gap between what I was cutting and the old dining room table in our garage. This seemed to work well enough. I went slow and was very cautious since I am not as comfortable with the circular saw as I am my miter saw.

Once cut, I fit them into the closet to check for size. One clicked in perfectly, the other needed a slight trim on the back corner. After re-cutting it, they both fit nicely. Some gaps along the edges, but with these being closet shelves, I really do not care. I could always add a quarter round if I want them to be more of a display grade shelf. For now, they will serve their storage purpose well.

After getting them in place, I secured the shelves to the braces using a brad nailer.

Before securing, make sure the shelf is pulled forward and in line with the end of the braces, this will ensure that the front plate sits flat against both.

Step Three: Install the Front Aprons for your Closet Shelves

Using even more scraps from the garage, I decided that 1×3 would give the shelves a sturdy, but not too bulky look. I measured each from wall to wall, and cut to length.

I lined up the top of the shelf with the top of the front apron. Using my brad nailer I attached it to each side. I also added some nails along the top of the front that would secure it to the shelf piece.

Step Four: Finish the Closet Shelves as Desired

I went back and forth on painting these. The quality of wood I used looked great unfinished. However, I always have this fear that if we sell someone else might look at this and think “oh hey, they never finished this project”. So I guilted myself into painting them white. I still kind of wish I had left them untouched, but this does make them look more “finished”.

All-in-all, this was a simple project and working in a storage space also takes the pressure off to be “exact” and have a clean look. Best of all, it was all FREE.

As previously stated, I am not sure this is a “pinterest” level makeover, but now even my vacuum cleaner has a rightful home. And that is all that matters.

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Are you looking for more home or craft inspiration? Check out how I built this adorable Wooden Book Bin for my nephew, or how I transformed this old window into a Wedding Seating Chart!