DIY Wooden Pegboard Shelf

Looking for some simple, do-it-yourself home decor?

This design for a pegboard shelf can be adapted in many ways and can be made with minimal tools. This Instructable is aimed towards people like me who want to get into woodworking but don't have access or the space to own power tools. This was my first time working with wood, so I know that it didn’t turn out perfect, but I really liked making this project and I think you would too. Be sure to read through all the directions before you begin to get an idea of exactly how much of each material you need to make the pegboard you have in mind.

The materials in this project can vary greatly, but here is the overall idea of what you need.

• Base Piece: You can use any type of wood for the base and any size. This will eventually become your pegboard so keep that in mind. I used multiple 2 feet long 2 inches by 4-inch pieces to form the base since I had some extra of those lying around.
• Wooden Dowel: This will get cut up into the pegs for your pegboard. I would suggest using a 1-inch dowel, but you can always switch it up a bit if you’d like.
• Wood for Shelves: You will need around 8 inch wide shelves for this project. Depending on the size of your pegboard, you can make the length of the shelves however you want. You can choose to buy them pre-cut, or cut them yourself.
• Mounting Mechanism: In order to hang this onto your wall, you can mount your pegboard in any way you want. There are pieces you can purchase online to hang your pegboard safely and so that it suits your walls.

Optional:

• Wood Stain or Finishes: If you want to darken or add gloss to the wood, you can use stain or finish on your wood. Important: Be sure to check and dispose of rags and materials safely.
• Sandpaper/Sanding Block: It's always good to sand your wood to make it smoother and nicer quality.
• Wood Glue, Extra Strips of Wood: If you have multiple base pieces that need to be joined.

Tools:

• Drill w/ 1 inch hole saw, forstner, or spade bit Small hand saw for cutting dowels
• Tape Measure or Yardstick
• Hand Saw (If you have wood pieces you need to cut)
• Pen/Marker

*These tools are only the minimum, so if you have access to power tools and know how to use them safely, feel free to use them!

Safety:

Have a protective filter mask and safety glasses on hand when you are drilling and encounter sawdust. While painting, finishing, or staining wood, wear gloves, a mask, and safety glasses.

Take your base piece and measure out the holes equally. Make sure the holes horizontally are even and straight, or else you will have crooked shelves. Use a pen to make a mark at the spots which you want to drill holes. I made the holes on my pegboard 4 inches apart from each other. Since I was using 2x4’s, I measured out holes on every other 2 foot piece of wood and left the other pieces blank.

Use your drill with a 1-inch wide drill bit to drill a hole at each of the points you marked. I used a spade drill bit that I had on hand, although if I had one, it would have been easier to use a hole saw. It helps to use some sort of guide to keep your holes straight. I used a flat piece of wood to straighten the drill horizontally and vertically before drilling.

Measure out, mark, and cut your dowels for your pegboard's pegs. You can choose to make them longer than your shelves so you can hang things from them, or make them shorter than your shelves. However long you want your dowels to be is up to you. I chose to make them 8 inches long and shorter than my shelves.

If the wood you are using for the shelves hasn’t been cut, use a hand saw to cut the pieces into the sizes you want. I bought the wood for this project at Home Depot, and they cut the wood for me there. There are two 1 foot by 8-inch shelves and one 2 foot by 8-inch shelf.

If you choose to sand, paint, finish, or stain your wood, now is the time. I chose to paint the 2 by 4’s I used for the base and I painted the ends of the dowels. I also sanded the insides of the holes so the dowels fit better and the shelves. Be sure to follow safety instructions when using wood finish, stain, or paint.

If you used multiple pieces for the backing, lay them out upside down then join them together using wood glue and extra strips of wood. If you have clamps on hand, now is the time to use them! I joined the 2x4’s together with 2 strips of plywood and regular wood glue.

You’re all done! You can use any kind of mounting mechanism you’d like to hang your shelf on the wall. Put the pegs into the holes and place the shelves on top of them. The best thing about this shelf is that you can adjust the shelves and pegs however you want and whenever you want!

This being my first time working with wood, here are some of the resources that helped me out that may hopefully be of use to you:
https://www.instructables.com/class/Woodworking-Cl...

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/types-of-hand-saws/...

This DIY is also part of Stematix Magazine's 7th Issue, which is a 100% Student-Run STEM Magazine in the Bay Area, California. Check us out at the official webpage: http://www.stematix.org/