11 Free Wall Shelf Plans

By
Stacy Fisher
Stacy Fisher, Writer
Stacy Fisher

Stacy Fisher is an expert on crafting, sewing, and frugal finds, sharing her knowledge of hands-on DIY creations, finding freebies, and budgeting. Stacy was a guest on "The Dr. Oz Show" and featured in Woman's World Magazine. She has nearly two decades of writing and editing experience.

Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/14/22
Picture of a wooden pallet shelf holding books

Strawberry Chic

Building a shelf is a beginner woodworking project and these free shelf plans include everything you need to get the job done. There are step-by-step directions, diagrams, photos, and tips on how to build a shelf. You'll have a quality shelf that looks great when you're finished.

There are all different styles of shelves here so be sure to look through all of them so you can find a shelf plan that will look great in your home, or make an excellent gift. There's everything from book cubbies to hanging towel bars for your bathroom.

If you're looking for shelving specifically for holding books, take a look at our free bookshelf plans as well. Most of them can be used as standard shelves as well.

  • 01 of 11

    Cubby Shelf

    Picture of a wooden shelf with magazines and mail

    Jen Woodhouse

    Modeled after a West Elm $179 pine cubby shelf is this free (given you already have the wood) knockoff from Jen Woodhouse, and it does a great job at looking identical. The shelf has three holding areas perfect for storing mail and magazines. It's 36" tall by 12" wide and 6.5" deep. It should take less than one day to complete this project. All the materials, tools and some more information about the shelf are included in a PDF file you can find at the Jen Woodhouse website.

    Cubby Shelf from Jen Woodhouse

  • 02 of 11

    Truck Shelf

    Picture of a red truck shelf holding books

    Ana White

    This shelf is more an organizer because it can sit on another shelf or tabletop, but it can also be hung on a wall like a traditional shelf. The shelf is just over 28" wide and 8" tall. In addition to the main area, this plan details building a smaller area at the front of the truck for things like pencils. Every little detail for building this truck shelf like the cut list, materials that are needed, and more, are available at Ana White's website. That's My Letter has some more photos and details of this shelf that you can check out.

    Truck Shelf from Ana White

  • 03 of 11

    Scrap Wood Shelf

    Picture of a wooden scrap wood shelf

    Rogue Engineer

    This shelf is a bit different than the others on this list because it's a more casual shelf, which may be exactly what you're looking for. Though it's not ideal that the instructions for building this DIY shelf aren't as detailed as some of the other plans from this list, it's simple enough to put together with the details that are given. All of the tools required to build this shelf are given in the plan, even with links to where to purchase them if you don't already have them.

    Scrap Wood Shelf from Rogue Engineer

  • 04 of 11

    Recycled Wood Pallet Shelf

    Picture of a wooden pallet shelf holding books

    Strawberry Chic

    There are plenty of things you can do with wood pallets, like build a simple wall-mounted shelf. The idea behind this shelf is very simple: cut out a section of a pallet, smooth down the edges, and attach a bottom to hold your things. There are lots of up-close pictures in this plan, so understanding how to make the shelf shouldn't be too hard at all.

    Recycled Wood Pallet Shelf from Strawberry Chic

    Continue to 5 of 11 below.
  • 05 of 11

    DIY Slat Wall Shelf

    A wooden slat shelf on a living room wall

    The Merrythought

    Get that casual coastal style with this DIY slat wall shelf. Its unique design leaves room for two shelves, four hooks, and even room for a small mirror if you'd like. A materials list is included so you can get started right away. There are no written directions, but a video helps you through each step of the process of building the shelf.

    DIY Slat Wall Shelf from The Merrythought

  • 06 of 11

    Christmas Tree Shelf

    Picture of a wooden Christmas tree shelf

    Ana White

    This tree-shaped shelf is perfect for Christmas but also useful for any time of year. When finished, you'll have four shelves that, together, make the entire shelf 32" tall and just over 20" wide. You'll need 12 feet of 1x4 boards, some plywood, and other materials to build this shelf. The full list of materials and tools needed are listed out just before the instructions. Each step of the building process is documented in detail on Ana White's website and more pictures of the finished shelf can be seen at That's My Letter.

    Christmas Tree Shelf from Ana White

  • 07 of 11

    Dog Bone Wall Shelf

    Picture of a white dog bone wall shelf that says Cinnamon

    RYOBI Nation

    A dog bone shelf is perfect for holding a leash, dog treats, and anything else you may use with your dog. The instructions in this free shelf plan come with real construction pictures, so it's pretty easy to make sure you're doing this right as you move through the steps. As you can see in the picture, this shelf includes hooks on the bottom and 15" to 16" shelf space on top.

    Dog Bone Wall Shelf from Designed Decor

  • 08 of 11

    DIY Wooden Snowflake Shelf

    Picture of a wooden snowflake shelf

    Woodshop Diaries

    Also great for the holiday's is this snowflake shelf from Woodshop Diaries. The entire shelf is around 35" in diameter. Though this shelf seems complicated at first glance, we think you'll find it easy to work with if you walk through the steps carefully.

    DIY Wooden Snowflake Shelf from Woodshop Diaries

    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Secret Floating Shelf

    Picture of a secret floating wooden shelf

    Rogue Engineer

    This free shelf plan is also from Rogue Engineer, but it's much different in design. While it functions as a normal shelf to hold pictures and other things, there's also a hidden compartment just below it that you can pull down to store items you don't really want to be lying around. Dimensions for this shelf are around 31" wide, 3.5" tall, and 10" deep. There's a short video you can watch that explains how the secret shelf opens.

    Secret Floating Shelf from Rogue Engineer

  • 10 of 11

    DIY Garage Shelves

    basement house clutter garage storage
    laughingmango / Getty Images

    Ana White's shelves are much larger than any of the others ​on this list but that's because they're to be used for storing large containers and other big items in your garage. The shelf as a whole stands 6 feet tall and 20 feet wide, with all 12 individual shelves measuring 20" tall by 55" wide. This garage shelving should be pretty easy to put together given that there's a common structure across the whole thing.

    DIY Garage Shelves from Ana White

  • 11 of 11

    Potted Herb Shelf Plan

    Picture of plants hung on a wooden shelf

    Home Hardware

    Like some of the shelves in this list that are built for a specific purpose in mind, Home Hardware's plan is for a shelf that holds pots, like ones used for fresh herbs. The shelf is 34.5" wide and can hold five pots. Follow the steps and diagrams to build this shelf.

    Potted Herb Shelf Plan from Home Hardware