How to Build Country Shelves

Country shelves will add traditional detail to your home. They are convenient places to showcase collectibles, antiques and other decorations. Although you can purchase country shelves, they are an ideal weekend woodworking project. The dimensions of the basic country shelf can be adjusted to suit your space requirements or other needs. Use pine and paint the shelves to match your other country furnishings. You can add decorative elements to the shelves, such as stencils.

2 boards, 1-by-6-inch, 24 inches long
Tape measure
Pencil
Table saw, with dado blade set
Wood glue
2 boards, 1-by-6-inch, 16 inches long
Box, flush trim screws
Screw gun
Sandpaper, fine-grit
Paintbrush
Paint
2 slotted keyhole hangers, with screws

Instructions

- 1
  Measure up 4, 12 and 20 inches from one end of each 1-by-6-by-24-inch board and mark the measurements on the wide side of the board that will face inward. These will form the sides. Mark the measurements, which indicate the location of the shelves, with a pencil.
- 2
  Set up a table saw to cut a 3/4-inch-wide by 3/8-inch-deep slot. This slot is called a dado. The shelf ends will slide into these dadoes on the inside of the sides.
- 3
  Cut the dado at each pencil mark, with the top of the dado along the mark.
- 4
  Position the side boards parallel to each other with the inside faces facing each other. Space the boards approximately 16 inches apart from the inside edges.
- 5
  Apply wood glue to the ends of the 1-by-6-by-16-inch boards. These are the shelf boards. Apply wood glue to the dadoes.
- 6
  Insert the shelves into their respective dadoes.
- 7
  Drive two evenly spaced flush trim wood screws through the outside of the sides into each end of the shelves using a screw gun. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
- 8
  Sand the entire shelving assembly with fine-grit sandpaper.
- 9
  Paint the shelving. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.
- 10
  Fasten one slotted keyhole hanger on the back edge of the side boards approximately 6 inches down from the top edges with the provided screws, using a screw gun.

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