How I Repurposed Old Shelves

On a recent visit to see my closest friends and their precious baby boy, I scored 2 shelves my best friend was intending to throw out.  You don't understand the level of excitement I had when she told me I could have them.  I felt like Charlie when he found the golden ticket or Harry when he caught the Golden Snitch!  Really, I did.

This is what the 2 bad boys looked like after I had taken the particle board tops off.

I spray painted the metal parts white and decided to cut some 1x7.25" wood boards to use as the tops of the shelves.  I started to stain the wood boards with Minwax's Weathered Gray, but as soon as the stain dried on all the boards, I realized the color just wasn't me.  The color was too gray and too light...not that the name Weathered Gray is a correct description or anything.  (sarcasm implied)  So as usual, I reverted back to Espresso, my favorite stain color of all time.

Because the shelf brackets were fairly deep, I attached 2 pieces of wood using my kreg jig.

After attaching the boards to the top of the shelves, this is what they looked like.  I used one shelf in my office and the other above my drink station.

Kitchen Shelf

Office Shelf

I love the beautiful detailing on the brackets and the fact that I spent less than $40 repurposing both of them makes them even better!  What do you think?

This post is linked up to:

Pinterest Did it Again! (DIY Rustic Bathroom Shelves)

Lately, I've been trying to organize my main bathroom and make it pretty for myself and my guests.  When I first got my house, I knew I had to work on the main bathroom immediately and make sure it was useable because it was the only bathroom with a shower.  I had the contractors re-tile the bathroom floor and the shower.  I re-painted the cabinets and replaced the light fixtures, but that was it.  I neglected to add any decor or personal touches to the bathroom since moving in.  Now that most of my main living quarters have been furnished, I wanted to bring my attention back to the bathroom.  After all, it's the space my guests are most likely to see (aside from my living room and kitchen, of course).

This is what the entrance of my main bathroom looked like:

I got the Ikea cart a couple of months ago to help me with my restroom organization...HAHA, but as you can see, there is a lot of vertical space I wasn't using.  I needed shelves!  

I went on Pinterest and found a lot of different pictures for inspiration, but I ultimately chose to make shelves like the ones created by Craftsman Drive & Liz Marie Blog.  The project was actually very simple and would be a good starter weekend project if you were looking to add more shelving to any part of your house.  

These are the supplies I used:

I got all of my supplies from Home Depot, but I'm 99.999% sure all of these supplies are available at any big box hardware store.

Sanding block
Shelf Brackets
1x8" wood (cut down to 24" pieces)
Minwax Wood Finish in Espresso
#6 3/4" screws
Polycrylic
2 Foam Brushes

I started by sanding the edges of the shelves with a sanding block.  I didn't want any obviously sharp edges.  I wanted these shelves to look more rustic and slightly used!  Then, I used a foam brush to apply the stain in small sections and made sure to quickly wipe off any excess stain so that I would have an even finish.  I let the shelves dry and sit for an hour, then I applied a second coat.  I let the second coat dry overnight.

While the stain was drying, I spray painted my shelf brackets a darker gray color and let them dry overnight.

The next day, I applied Minwax Polycrylic to protect my surface and seal everything in.

I let the protective finish dry overnight.

The installation process for these shelves was actually the trickiest.  Since I was installing 2 rows of shelves, I wanted the brackets to perfectly line up with one another but also be evenly spaced out.  I figured the easiest way to do this was do lightly draw 2 evenly spaced vertical lines using my level.  This way I would have a guide for where my shelf brackets should be installed.  I also made sure to draw 2 horizontal lines 16 inches apart to mark my shelf placement.

After attaching the brackets, I attached the shelves to the brackets using 3/4" screws.  I used a damp cloth to wipe off any visible pencil marks.  That's it!

These shelves were so easy!  If you are looking to add some simple, rustic shelves to your home, I definitely recommend trying this.  The best part?  The entire project cost me less than $20!