How to Make Floating Faux Live Edge Shelves

Anyone who has made anything with live edge wood knows how expensive it can be. Here is a technique for faking a live edge for just the price of standard lumber.

We did a mini makeover of a guest bath by reinventing the vanity, painting the wall, and adding two floating faux live edge shelves along with a floating mirror supported by a faux live edge shelf.

Materials/Tools:

• 2x8 common board
• 2x6 common board
• Everbilt 1-1/2 in. x 96 in. Zinc-Plated Slotted Angle (Home Depot)
• DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Band Saw (Home Depot)
• Makita 18V 5.0Ah X2 LXT Lithium-Ion (36V) Brushless Cordless 10 in. Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser Kit (Home Depot)
• Makita 18V X2 LXT Lithium-Ion (36V) Brushless Cordless 6-1/2 in. Plunge Circular Saw (Home Depot)
• DIABLO 4-1/2 in. 80-Grit Steel Demon Grinding and Polishing Flap Disc with Integrated Speed Hub (Home Depot)
• DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless 4.5 in. - 5 in. Angle Grinder (Home Depot)
• WEN 41 in. W x 35 in. H 600 lbs. Capacity Portable Clamping Sawhorse and Work Bench (Home Depot)
• Kreg Track Horse (Home Depot)
• DEWALT 20V MAX XR Cordless Brushless 3-Speed Oscillating Multi-Tool (Home Depot)
• RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless Jig Saw (Home Depot)
• RYOBI ONE+ 18V 6 Gal. Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum (Tool Only) with Hose, Crevice Tool, Floor Nozzle and Extension Wand (Home Depot)
• BEHR 1 qt. Transparent Oil-Based Interior Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner (Home Depot)
• Minwax Special Walnut 224 Stain (Amazon)
• Glacier Bay 1/4 in. Plastic Mirror Mounting Clips (Home Depot)
• Paper Towel Holder (Amazon)

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The width of the back wall in the bathroom is 53 inches. We cut the three boards to just a hair under 53 inches. The back shelves are cut from 2x8 lumber and the mirror shelf is from a 2x6 board.

We are using angle iron to hang our floating shelves. This is recycled from a project we did many years ago. Here Steph is cutting the metal to length with a DeWalt battery-powered portable band saw. The angle iron for the back shelves is the same length as the boards. The angle iron for the mirror is cut into two pieces to fit on either side of the mirror.

To create the "live" edge, we first used a pencil to mark one of the grain lines. We set the jigsaw at a 45-degree angle and followed the pencil line.

This DeWalt angle grinder with 80 grit flap disk makes the magic and is the fun part of this technique.

The angle grinder softens edges to create a more realistic "live" edge. Just work until you are happy with the look!

For the shelf that holds the mirror, we cut out a notch on the wall side of the shelf where the mirror will hang.

After carving the edges, the shelves were stained.

We first marked the studs with blue tape before attaching the angle iron to the back wall.

This is the underside of the shelf. You can see we used black washers and screws to blend in with the spray-painted angle iron. The angle iron was sprayed with Rust-Oleum flat black.

The angle iron for the mirror side is placed on either side of the notch we cut for the mirror. We attached this in the same way with screws. The mirror was then positioned in the notch. We added mirror clips for additional stability.

Here are the finished shelves and completed bathroom makeover. The new shelves bring warmth and nature into the space which is a much-needed improvement.

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