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D.I.Y. corner shelves

Completed and installed yellow and black corner shelves, holding an hourglass, vases, bowls and a clock

Overview

A corner shelf can be built in any room of the house. These handy shelves make the most of a room by saving space and giving you extra storage. This easy-to-follow guide shows you the tools you need and gives you some simple tips to build a corner shelf.

Steps

1Cut the plywood

Once you've worked out how big you want your corner shelf to be you can take your measurements to Bunnings where you can get the plywood cut for you. Or you can cut the plywood yourself with a drop saw. Mark and measure out your 45-degree mitre joint and cut it. Make sure you're wearing your safety glasses, dust mask and ear muffs when cutting the timber. 

Closeup of a mitre saw blade lined up at a 45 degree angle against a plank of wood

2Mark and measure for the dowel

To join the two pieces of timber together, we'll use dowel joins. Measure and mark a spot near the top, bottom and middle of the plywood on both pieces of timber.

Two pieces of timber marked for the positioning of drilled holes for dowel

3Drill the holes for the dowel

Place the plywood on its side and use the spade bit to drill the six holes for the dowel. A simple way to make sure you don't drill too deep is to use masking tape to mark half the length of the dowel on your drill bit. 

Holes being bored into half of a corner shelf for dowel pegs

4Join the plywood pieces

Apply PVA wood glue into the six drilled holes. Insert the dowel into the three holes on one piece of plywood. Apply glue to the mitre join. Join the two pieces of plywood together, making sure they're flush.

lengths of dowel fitted to a plank of wood onto which a similar piece can be mounted to make a corner shelf

5Sand the shelf

Wait for the glue to dry. Put on your dust mask and sand the shelf so that it's smooth. 

An assembled corner shelf, yet to be painted, held by a Bunnings team member

6Measure and mark where the shelves will go

In the corner of your room, measure and mark where the shelves will go. Make sure the points you mark are level.

A pencil and tape measure used to measure out position for a wall flange

7Find the studs

Use a stud finder to find the studs behind the wall where you will hang the shelves. Mark the spots where the studs are.

A stud finder used to find the stud in a white wall

8Attach the flanges to the wall

Use the drill and screws to secure the flanges to the studs. Repeat this for all of the flanges.

Flanges being screwed into a wall with a power drill

9Place the shelves on the supports

Place the shelves on the pipe supports, so that they're flush with the corner and the wall.

A completed shelf being placed on mounted wall pegs

10Screw the caps onto the pipes

To finish the job off, screw the caps onto the ends of the pipes. You can also paint the shelves so that it matches your décor or you can go with a more natural wood look.

Caps being screwed onto pipes mounted to the wall as brackets for a corner shelf

11Paint your new shelves

You can also paint the shelves so that it matches your décor or you can go with a more natural wood look.

Wider shot of black and yellow corner shelves as part of a black white and yellow themed laundry space with towels, pot plant and laundry baskets
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.