Small Bathroom Storage: DIY Pallet Board hanging shelf

And here's another sneak peek into how my $100 powder room makeover is going.  The great thing about this guy is he cost me next to nothing!  I used all pallet wood and I had the screws and stain on hand.  I did have to purchase the rope and the hook at the top, but you can actually make this without either.  (My little secret is they're just for decoration, they're not actually keeping the shelf on the wall.)

The lovely ladies over at Shanty 2 Chic inspired me to make this shelf.  They built a similar one for that odd wasted space over the toilet.   The only difference is mine is pallet wood (free) and they paid for their boards (better quality).  I believe she said she still made it for about $10...which is still quite the steal.


To make the pallet board shelf version you'll need two of the wider 36" boards (they're about 5 3/4 inches wide) for the shelves and two of the narrower pieces of wood for the side supports.  I cut the two wider boards in half so they would measure 18".  The narrow side boards were cut to 30".

Be sure to sand all your pieces down paying special attention to the corners and ends.  Pallet boards can be very splintery.

Before your nail anything together use a pallet bit to drill one hole in the top of each of the side boards.  This will be where your rope goes through.  It's easier to do this now than it is when the shelf is all together....as I learned the hard way.

Then I started building by attaching the bottom shelf to one of the side boards with screws.  Be sure the back of the shelf is actually flush with the back of the side piece of wood.  I repeated this on the other side.  The middle and top shelves were then added in the same way.  The middle shelf is 12" above the bottom shelf, and the top shelf is 10 inches above the middle shelf.   You can space them evenly or however you see fit.

(Apologies on the lack of pictures....my kids and husband were out of town and I was frantically trying to get EVERYTHING done in the span of about 36 hours so I forgot to snap a few pictures during a couple of the steps.)

Now it's time to stain.  I like to use a foam brush to apply my stain, but you could also use a paint brush or a rag.  Wait a few minutes and then whip off the stain.  Let it dry according to the directions - usually about 8 hours.  If you want to apply a second coat, do it then.

You're pretty much ready! Just cut your rope...mine is 26" between the knots.  I cut it longer than I thought I would need and knotted one end.  Then I fed the other end through both the holes and knotted the other end before cutting off any excess.

I believe Shanty 2 Chic's version actually uses the hook to hang the shelf.  I was afraid the shelf was a little too heavy for that so I used the hook, but only for aesthetic purposes.  I actually attached D rings to the back of my shelf and then hung it with heavy duty wall claws.

You do know the trick to no measure hanging, don't you?

The great thing about this shelf is it gives me a lot more storage without taking up any floor space.

With a small bathroom and a pedestal sink there is no where to put anything...example 1:

Finally, I have somewhere to hide the wipes and store the toilet paper.  I shopped my house first and found the wipe container fit perfectly into the brown basket that was holding nothing more than one lonely glove at the top of the coat closet.

I also pulled the burlap monogrammed photo from the mantle and used that...not everything has to be useful in the bathroom and not everything has to stay in one spot.  :)

I picked up the wood vase and the candle (always a necessity in the bathroom) at Kohls on super clearance. I think I paid about $5 total between the clearance, coupons, and Kohl's cash.  Score!

Oh, and double score...this bathroom was also in serious need of a waste can...so wait til you see what I did with the extra rope! That's coming to the blog very soon!

And here's one more look just because...well, because I can't stop looking at her!