Easily Make a Frame Shelf For Your Home | Beginner’s DIY

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Last Updated on June 11, 2023 by lindseymahoney

Looking for a fun way to display your family photos? This affordable and easy DIY will show you how to make a beautiful frame shelf that is perfect for any room in your home!

I have had so many positive responses to this DIY, someone even asked if it was from Pottery Barn! How’s that for a compliment?!

Building this frame shelf is super easy, it only takes a few hours, costs less than $30 and I am going to show YOU how to build it.

Let’s get started!

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How to DIY a Frame Shelf

[Affiliate links are included in this blog post, thanks for supporting Building Bluebird!]

With this tutorial, I am sharing how you can still complete certain DIY projects even if you don’t own all of the necessary tools! My goal is to inspire beginner DIYers to try that pinned project, have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself along the way!

Materials Needed For Picture Ledge

• Base: 1×6 Whitewood Common Board
• Front: 1×2 Whitewood Common Board
• Back: 1×4 Whitewood Common Board
• Screws: I used wood screws I had in my garage (1 5/8 inch) that looked long enough to connect 2 pieces of wood and used the same screws to build the ledge and attach it to the wall.
• 1/4 Drill Bit: Use a bit that is slightly smaller than the width of the screw
• Cordless Drill/Driver: Match the driver type to the head of the screw you are using
• Clamps: 2-3 clamps are ideal when building the ledge
• Sanding block
• Paintbrush: I used one I already owned
• Wood Conditioner
• Wood Stain: Special Walnut color
• Paper Towels
• Level

TIP: The length of wood is always slightly shorter than how it is marketed in the store. For example, a 2×6 piece of wood is actually closer to 1.5×5.5 in true measurements.

*I collected inspiration from the ledge that Chris Loves Julia created, but made a few tweaks based on tools I owned.

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1 | Measure the Wall

Once you choose the wall where your shelf will hang, you will determine the length of your picture frame shelf. It is your decision how long you want the shelf, however, I chose 80 inches. I wanted to display 5-7 larger picture frames, so about 6 feet was the perfect length.

Step 2 | Purchase Materials

At our local hardware store, I found pre-cut wood in the common board section of the lumber aisle. I grabbed three sizes – 1×6, 1×4, and 1×2. All of the boards were 8 feet (96 inches) long.

Next, I asked Home Depot to cut each piece down to 80″.

You will want to buy any additional materials that you need for this project at the hardware store.

Before you begin building, quickly use a sanding block on all of the boards to remove any splinters. The boards may be rough on the edges that were cut in the store.

3 | Build the Back and Base of the Hanging Shelf

First let me start by saying, it was freezing outside and I wanted to complete most of this DIY project in my warm house…because I’m a baby.

I do not own a saw horse so I worked with what I had and created a working space in my kitchen. Over a drop cloth I used two chairs to hold the wood as I built the picture frame shelf.

Would this project be easier if I had all of the required tools to build it? Probably. But I am not intimidated and thrive on finding creative solutions and work with what I own.

Next, begin by connecting the back of the shelf (1×4) to the base of the shelf (1×6).

Place the 1×4 wood on top of the 1×6 piece of wood and clamp them together. If I had my sh*t together, I would have used 2-3 clamps to secure both sides of the ledge. Alas, I did not have said sh*t together and could only find one of our clamps.

I improvised and used the clamp on one end of the ledge and used FrogTape to connect the center and the opposite end of the ledge. This helped to keep the boards from moving too much.

Starting on the clamped end of the picture ledge, I drilled a pilot hole and screwed the two boards together. Once connected, I removed the clamp and moved it to the center of the ledge where I connected the boards again.

I made pilot holes about 12 inches apart and screwed the boards together for a tight connection. I used the single clamp as I moved along the ledge to ensure the boards stayed properly aligned.

4 | Connect the Front Lip to the Picture Frame Shelf

Once the back of the shelf is secure, take the 1×2 board and clamp it to the top of the 1×6 base board.

All of the screws will be on the bottom of the frame shelf.

Again, three clamps would be ideal, but tape can work as well! I worked my way down the ledge with the clamp, drill, and driver, and wa-la, the picture frame ledge is complete!

This project is seriously so easy!

5 | Condition & Stain the Picture Ledge

If you DIYed your frame shelf indoors, I recommend you complete these next steps outside or in a well-ventilated area.

Before applying any wood stain, take a paintbrush and quickly apply a wood conditioner to your ledge. Brush a thin coat and use a paper towel to wipe away any excess conditioner.

This will help the stain to absorb evenly to the wood. Wait 30 minutes and then begin the staining process.

I chose a light brown stain color called Special Walnut. I love how warm it looks without being too yellow-y.

Shake the stain mix well and then use a rag (or paper towel) to apply the stain to the wood. Wipe the stain on the wood in even motions and then wipe off the access stain with a clean paper towel. When staining, I focused on an area of 2 feet at a time and then wiped it off.

The more coats you apply, the darker your stain will become. For the picture ledge in my dining room, I applied 3 coats of stain. For my current project, I applied one coat and it looks great. Wait 2 hours for the stain to dry.

You just built and stained your first picture frame Shelf! Congratulations!

6 | Install the Picture Frame Ledge

As you prepare to install your DIY frame shelf, the first step will be to determine where it will hang. Hold it up to the wall and place a level on the ledge to get it straight.

Use a pencil to mark the top of the ledge so you can place it in the same spot when you attach the screws.

Next, you will need to find the wall studs. The easiest way to find studs is by using a stud finder… we used the method of knocking on the wall.

Use painters tape as a marker to show where each stud is located. Once identified, hold the shelf back into position. Find the stud closest to the center, drill a pilot hole on the back of the ledge, then attached it to the wall with your screw.

By starting in the middle of the ledge, you have the opportunity to straighten out the shelf if needed before you secure the next screw into the wall.

Having an extra set of hands for this part of DIY makes it a LOT easier to install.

Attach the ledge to 3 or 4 studs (depending on the length) and it will be very secure to the wall. Add your favorite family photos and this DIY project is complete!

DIY Picture Frame Shelf Reveal

Isn’t it great?!

For a cohesive look, I used all-black picture frames that varied in size. For a more casual look, I overlapped the frames and leaned them against the wall. This floating shelf is perfect for photos or to display unique artwork.

We eat most of our meals in the dining room and this wall of smiling faces makes me so happy. The picture ledge also makes a great gift for friends and family!

For Christmas, we gifted a picture frame ledge to my parents and it now displays beautiful images of their grandkids.

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