Hopefully this post will give you some inspiration to make your own entryway shelf using repurposed wood. With that being said, I should start off by saying that this post is more of a “how we did it” rather than our traditional “how to do it”, so you could use all or some of the methods we used, if you’d like.
As Joel completes the harder, more time consuming home renovation projects (flooring, tile, painting, etc), I usually come in after it’s done to 1. Clean up the mess and 2. Style, furnish and decorate. I was excited to finally decorate the entryway once Joel finished since it is a focal point in the house (and really makes your house feel like a home).
Since we have been spending enough on the actual renovations, I figured I could put together some wood we have left over from other projects to make an entryway shelf. I even decided to repurpose two vintage wooden shelf brackets from my great-grandmother’s house.
The repurposed wood pieces I used included:
- 1 – 1 x 8” common board (back support)
- 2 – 1 x 6” common board (top)
- 2 – Vintage wooden shelf brackets (sides)
- 1 – 1 x ¾” piece (trim)
I wanted to make this entryway shelf long enough to cover most of the wall, so I cut down both the 1 x 8” (back) and 1 x 6” (top) pieces to 4 ft using a miter saw. If you don’t have a miter saw, you usually can have the home improvement store make the cuts for you instead. If you want to add trim (not required, just to give the piece more character), don’t forget to also have your trim piece measured and cut to your desired size as well.
Next I combined the two 1 x 6s to make a flat top for the shelf. Note this is an added step– I had to use two pieces to make the top of the shelf, but if you have one solid piece, you can use that instead. To combine the two pieces, I used a biscuit joiner and wood glue. You could use a jig or some other method, but I joined them with biscuits to hide the evidence of it ever being two pieces.
To make the back support, I attached the repurposed wood shelf brackets to the ends of the 1×8” back piece using wood glue and a brad nailer (if your wood has a slight bend or is not immediately attaching well, you may clamp it overnight so it will have proper adhesion).
Next I added my 1 x ¾” trim piece to the top of the 1×8” piece with wood glue.
I wanted to stain the top shelf and paint the back support, so I gave both the top shelf and the back support a good sanding first with my DeWalt sander.
The stain I used for the top shelf was my go-to DIY rustic weathered gray stain and the paint I used for the back support was Behr Polar Bear in a semi-gloss finish.
Once the pieces were dry, I attached them to each other using wood glue and a brad nailer. Then I measured out where I would place the 6 black hooks I bought from Hobby Lobby and attached them to the back support with screws.
And that’s it! I made this shelf with a matching entryway bench, using the same stain and paint color so it would be a nice complement to each other. I’m really satisfied with the result and especially the money saved from using wood we already had lying around.
