How to Hang a Wall Shelf

We enjoyed a free (and rare) weekday shopping excursion yesterday, just wandering a few stores with coupons to see what we could see.  One problem area I've been working on is in our downstairs bathroom.  It came with a pedestal sink....which I would never have picked.  Pedestal sinks look nice in a small bathroom, but leave a small bathroom with no storage.  This is where the boy brushes his teeth in the morning before school, and it always looks like this:

Enter this: I've been working on figuring out how to make my own, but for the sale price of $20 for three shelves, I decided to "shelve" that lesson for a while!

These pre-built shelves are very easy to install.  You will need a screwdriver, wall anchors (in you're installing into drywall), a level, tape, paper and a rubber mallet.  I realize now I didn't really use the rubber mallet, but it's one of those tools I always take with me....it really comes in handy very often.

Here is the back of the shelf, with two hanging plates ready for the screws.  You need a template of some kind to figure out how to get your screws into the wall so they are exactly the width of the holes in the shelf.

 

To do this, I lay a piece of sturdy paper over the back of the shelf; poke two holes where the screws go (I used a sharp pencil)

I taped the template to the back of the shelf, and added two pieces of tape that could be taped to the wall; then I placed the shelf on the wall where I wanted it.  Juggling the shelf with a level on top of it is not easy, but doable.  Once it's in place and level, I taped the paper to the wall, and then removed the tape from the shelf.  What's left is the paper on the wall, with the two holes in it. 

This shelf came with it's own drywall anchors and screws; predrill a very small hole, and screw in the anchors.  Then put the screws into the anchors leaving a gap of about 1/4".   Then you are ready to  hang your shelf!

 

 

This works so much better, and for $20, I still have the large shelf left over!  Score!

 

No, the new turquoise vase is not going to stay there; I was just trying it out for fun.  I'm not sure what is, but it will be much smaller than that.  I also still need to find things for the bottom shelf to hold his toothpaste and brush.  But this is a major improvement from a minor job. 

 

Now, if I could only hang things straight the first time, it wouldn't have taken so long!

 

Tomorrow: Check back to see what other items I scored on clearance...they were even better deals than this.  And with a loaner sewing machine coming my way tonight, I may even be able to make them happen!