Point of View and Simple Display Shelf Tutorial

Welcome to this month's Point of View reveal! The theme for June is "shelves". I had a tough time this month... I had to step outside of my sewing comfort zone :) I was so excited to see the other members' projects because this theme could have gone in so many different directions. Here are the Point of View shelf-themed projects...

1. Camilla from Rosy Red Buttons
2. Michelle from A Little Tipsy

3. Jonie from Just Between Friends

4. Amy from Ameroonie Designs

5. Gwen from Gwenny Penny (scroll down to find the tutorial for my Simple Display Shelf)

I'm so impressed with each of these projects. I am always giddy with anticipation waiting to see how the other members of Point of View interpret the theme each month. You can check out each of these projects by visiting each of the blogs listed above, and scroll down here to see the tutorial for my Simple Display Shelf.

Are you interested in participating as a guest member of Point of View? We are currently looking for people who would like to join us. We will be including one guest each month, so if you would like to take part, send me an email (please include your blog name and URL), and we will add you to the list. You will be notified in advance when it is your turn.

Do you have a shelf project, past or present, that you would like to share? Whether you made a shelf, decorated or redecorated a shelf, reorganized a shelf... anything shelf related, we would like to invite you to join the Point of View Shelves Link Party over at Just Between Friends. But before you do that, I'd like to share my Simple Display Shelf tutorial with you...

This cute little shelf is so easy to make, you won't believe it. Like I said earlier, I had a tough time with this month's theme. I finally ended up walking into Lowe's and wandered around waiting for inspiration to strike. I came upon the molding aisle and found this crown molding block that I had never seen before...

The wheels started turning and this little shelf was born. Here's the how-to...

Materials:

• mid corner crown molding block (I bought a 5.6" block at Lowe's for about $5. Here's the link to the product. They sell them in several different sizes, so you could make shelves using any of them.)
• scrap piece of 1x6 pine (at least 8" long for a 5.6" molding block)
• sandpaper
• wood filler
• wood glue (I love Gorilla Wood Glue! They don't pay me to say that!)
• paint, stain, or your preferred finish
• saw
• measuring tape or ruler
• pencil

Instructions:

*Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert. There are probably much better ways to do some of the things that I did on this project, but this is what worked for me. There is risk involved when using power tools. Please use caution and safety equipment (like safety glasses) if you use power tools for this project. If you are not comfortable using power tools, enlist the help of someone who is.

Step 1: The first thing you need to do is measure the width and depth of your crown molding block. This will determine how you will cut your 1x6. Your shelf will overhang the edges of your molding block by 1". Measure the width of your block (in my case 5.6") and add 2" to determine how long your 1x6 needs to be (in my case 7.6"). Measure the depth of your crown molding block (in my case 2.8") and add 1" to determine how wide your 1x6 needs to be cut down to (in my case 3.8").

Step 2: Use a pencil to mark your 1x6 with the dimensions you calculated in Step 1. Cut the 1x6 down to size. Sand the cut edges.

Step 3: Use wood filler to fill the little nail holes on the sides of your crown molding block.

Step 4: Lay your cut 1x6 board down, and set your crown molding on top of it. Line up the molding block so that the open back is flush with one of the long edges of the board. Center your molding block so that there is a 1" board overhang on the other three sides of the block. Use a pencil to lightly mark the left and right sides of the block on the board. Get out your wood glue and glue your block to the board using the pencil marks as a guide. Let dry for 24 hours. (FYI - I didn't use nails to attach my pieces together because the walls of the block are so thin that I was afraid they would split if I tried to hammer in a nail.)

Step 5: Now that your glue and wood filler are dry, give your wood filler a little sanding to make sure it is smooth.

Step 6: Time to finish your shelf! My crown molding block came pre-primed, so I didn't bother priming my top board. Big mistake! It took four a million coats of paint to cover it. Finish your shelf to your liking with paint, stain, etc. and you're done!

I mounted my shelf by placing two long nails in the wall, letting them stick out a few inches, and setting the shelf on top of them. The nails will be covered by the molding block. I don't plan on placing anything heavy on the shelf, but if you do, you might want to find another, sturdier attachment method.

OK, now you can run over to the Point of View Shelves Link Party at Just Between Friends :) I'll be featuring some of your shelf projects in a post next week. Hope to see you at the party!




I'm linking up...