Zero cost shelving? Yes please!

To be fair, we already had all of the materials needed for these shelves laying around. So, literally, zero cost for us. So, if you also have scrap wood lying around, some twine, and a few basic tools you’ll also be good to go.

If you don’t that’s totally fine too. You can grab your preferred sized and thickness lumber at your local hardware store. As well as jute twine which comes in a variety of thickness. All of which is very inexpensive.

You can make this a two or one tiered hanging shelf. We made both and will show you how we accomplished each.

Supplies and Tools We Used:

1. Twine or rope
2. Would stain or paint
3. Sander and sandpaper
4. Wood cut to size
5. Level
6. Drill

Instructions:

1. Cut wood to desired length. We used some scrap wood that measured 24” long. I think that’s a perfect length.

2. Measure 1 inch in from the end of your boards and ¾ -1 inch from the side edges. This will depend on the size of the hole your will need. If you need to drill a larger hole to fit a chunkier rope you could adjust accordingly.

3. Drill holes in all 4 corners of your piece of wood using a bit that is larger around than the twine or rope you are using.

4. Sand your board(s) to get rid of any rough spots. This will allow the paint or stain to adhere better. If you are staining your shelf, don’t forget to seal it.

5. Stain and seal or paint your wooden shelves.

6. Measure 2 pieces of twine to the desired length. Twice the length of the wood pieces for 1 shelve, and 2 ½ times the length if you are making a 2 tiered shelf, is a good rule of thumb.

7. String the twine through the holes from the top down diagonally.

8. Measure 6 inches (or longer depending on how far down you want your shelf to hang) from all four strands of twine and knot each end.

You can stop here if you are making a one tiered shelf. Cut the ends of the twine where there is excess and call it good. However, if you are interested in making a two tiered shelf keep reading!

9. Measure down and mark at 10 inches, or your desired length of gap between the shelves.

10. Finally, string the twine through the holes top to bottom and tie a knot under the self where you have previously marked. You will probably have to make adjustments because jute likes to be a little finicky. This where a level comes in handy.

*Be sure to check the level of the second tier before you cut off the excess string at the bottom. 😬 Don’t ask us how we know this….😑

Admittedly, the hardest part of this entire project was getting the second tier level. I originally tried to cross the twine on the second tier to have a fun criss cross detail. But that proved to make a level surface difficult. I am certain that it is possible to do, but I eventually opted to keep the twine straight.

We hope you enjoyed this project! I love how simple and functional the shelves are, and most importantly free/cheap.

Thank-you so much for taking time out of your day to hang out here!

-Joanna