This DIY plant shelf project is so easy and looks so great that we bet plant enthusiasts among you will want to give it a go this weekend. Blogger Amy Nguyen spent just half an hour crafting this window plant shelf, and we love its rustic yet smart look. Here's how Amy went about building the shelf (the lower one in the photo).
First, you will need to figure out how wide you want your shelf based on the size of your window. The board will need to extend at least two inches beyond each side of the window frame in order to attach to the shelf brackets. Because Amy's window is in a corner, she could only take it out about 2.5″ on each side. But you could always extend it farther than that, if you have room. The shelf that Amy made was 34″ wide. She measured and marked the board, then made one easy cut with the miter saw. After cutting it down to size, she sanded the rough edges on the cut end, and then, very lightly, sanded all of the rest of the edges to soften them just a tad.
Amy chose to stain her shelf, but you could leave it unfinished or even paint it. She used Minwax Provincial – and put one coat of stain on according to the directions on the can.
Next, Amy picked up a couple of 5″ x 7″ brackets at Lowe’s. They were only $1.50 each, and she then spray-painted them black (they were originally white).
Then, she drilled extra holes in the brackets. The trim around Amy's windows is pretty deep. So, the pre-drilled holes on the brackets were actually behind the edge of the window frame.
She wouldn’t have been able to secure the shelf board into those holes. So, she simply used a drill to add a couple of holes that fell in front of the edge of the window frame. That way, she was able to attach the shelf board securely to the brackets.
Then, Amy installed the brackets on the wall. Unfortunately, she didn't have a laser level, which would have been super helpful with installation. So, instead, she held the board up to the window approximately where she wanted it to be, and used a regular level to make sure it (the board) was level. Then, Amy drew a short line on the wall on either side of the window frame along the top of the board. That way, she could make my measurements for the shelf brackets from the pencil line, which she knew was level. Then, using drywall anchors and screws, she installed them on the wall.
The last step is just screwing the board onto the brackets. Amy marked the underside of the board where the screws would be placed, and drilled pilot holes first. Then, she secured the board to the bracket with screws – and that was that!
