How to build cheap and easy DIY closet shelves

Learn how to build closet shelves for any closet in your home. These DIY closet shelves are inexpensive and easy to customize for any size closet.

My sons’ shared closet is finished and I have never been so excited about a closet before! 

The closets in our house aren’t anything to write home about; all of our bedroom closets are standard double closets with sliding doors.

When I started planning how to make this room work as a shared bedroom for both of my sons, I knew there needed to be way more usable storage in the closet to hold all of their stuff. 

So I designed and built custom DIY closet shelves, gave everything a fresh coat of paint, and now it is perfect!

For those who are new here, I am in the middle of a complete redo of my sons’ bedroom.  I am transforming my 4 year old’s bedroom into a room for him to share with his two year old brother.  (Baby boy #3 is coming this summer so we’re on a bit of a deadline.!)

This is how the closet looked before.

One bar for hanging clothes and one high shelf.  Plus a small bookcase I stuck in there to add a bit more storage.  Not a great closet for anyone, but considering how few hanging clothes my son has, it was basically just one huge waste of space!

I knew I wanted to create my own custom closet system. That way I could configure it exactly how I want – plus it would be way cheaper! 

When I started figuring out the design, I tried to keep several things in mind.  It needed to have lots of shelf space for storing toys, shoes, clothes, etc. and my two and four year olds needed to be able to reach as many of the shelves as possible.  (I definitely want to encourage them getting out and putting away their own clothing!) 

On the other hand, I also wanted it to continue to function several years down the road when they are a bit older so the area for hanging clothes had to big enough to fit full grown man clothing.

Also, since this is a closet with sliding doors, you can only access one half of the closet at a time.  So whatever built-ins I created needed to make sense with only one door open at a time.

I came up with a few ideas and then used painters tape to see how they would actually work in the closet.

In the end I decided the design on the far right above was the winner.  There were plenty of low shelves/cubbies for storing all kinds of stuff, a long hanging bar, and a high shelf above it to put absolutely all of the vertical space to good use. 

The boys won’t be able to reach the clothes that are hanging on the bar for quite some time, but almost none of their everyday clothing needs to be hung up, so that wasn’t a deal breaker.

Once the design was decided, I got to work on my DIY closet shelves!

First step, remove everything that was already in the closet including the closet rod, shelf, and shelf supports that were there before.  I patched up the nail holes with spackle and then gave the whole closet including trim a fresh coat of white paint.

To keep things simple, I reinstalled the same shelf and curtain rod that were there previously higher in the closet.

I built the rest of the shelves using MDF.  This was actually my first time using MDF instead of plywood and it was perfect. I chose it because it was quite a bit cheaper, but I also love that it is easy to cut and the surface is incredibly smooth.

This post contains affiliate links; see my full disclosure here.

Supplies for DIY closet shelves

A sheet of MDF cut into 14” strips  (My cubbies are 14” deep but you can use whatever measurement works best for you based on your closet size)

1″x2″ pine boards to create the side shelf supports (two 14” pieces for each shelf)

1″x2″ poplar boards to create a nice thick facing for each shelf (amount depends on size of your closet and shelves)

nail gun or hammer and finishing nails

screws

wood filler and caulk

level

tape measure

Spackle

Paint

How to Build Closet Shelves

My closet plan involves building square cubbies, but the first step is to build three simple shelves spanning the closet.  

I prefer to paint all of the pieces of a project like this before installing them. You will still need to do a quick paint touch up at the end, but painting each piece is so much faster than trying to maneuver in all of those tight corners.

Attaching the shelves to the wall is easy.  All you need are some inexpensive 1″x2″ boards.

Screw each support into the studs on each side wall of the closet and then set the shelf boards in place. (Be sure to use a level when hanging your shelves!)  

If you are building straightforward shelves, you also need to add wood supports along the back wall of the closet. Simply cut another 1’x2′ board the length of your shelf minus 3 inches (to accommodate the side supports) and screw it to the studs along the back wall of the closet. (Again, don’t forget the level!)

But because I am building cubbies in this closet, that wasn’t necessary. The vertical pieces separating each cubby will provide plenty of support. 

To create the cubby dividers, cut more MDF to the size you need.  (I used 14”x14” for the bottom two rows because my shelves are 14″ deep and 14″ high.  The top row supports are 9″x14″ because the shelves are 14″ deep and 9″ high.)

To install them, I started on the bottom and nailed a few nails into each divider through the shelf above to secure it in place. Then I added the middle row of cubby dividers and the top row the same way.

Finally, I added the poplar facing.  This is completely optional but gives the whole thing such a great, finished look.  

The process was pretty simple. I added long strips of poplar to the front of each horizontal shelf and then smaller pieces to each cubby divider.  All you need are a few finishing nails to hold each board in place.

Seriously, that small detail makes such a difference!

The final step is filling all of the nail holes with wood filler and caulking all of the seams. I am always amazed at how beautifully caulk and wood filler fix up any imperfections.  (If you aren’t sure of the difference between caulk and wood filler, I have a whole post on when to use wood filler and when to use caulk.)

And then I added the DIY fabric storage cubes I shared last week as well as a few white plastic baskets I picked up at Target.

I am completely in love with these fabric bins. Can you believe that fabric is regular old cotton fabric from the quilting section of Joann Fabrics!  I couldn’t believe how much variation there was in this one off-the-shelf fabric.  It totally looks hand-dyed!  (You can find the same fabric online at Fabric.com as well)

And finally, I filled up the closet with all of the boys’ things. There are clothes in all of the fabric bins, shoes and accessories in the plastic bins, a large basket to toss clothes in as they outgrow them (on the left), a basket full of puzzles (on the right), and extra storage on the high shelf.

And now for the best part of any DIY  post – the before and after photos:

What a change!  There is so much less wasted space now, plus it is gorgeous!

I was planning to do something to update the blah sliding doors, but now I’m considering the possibility of simply leaving the doors off altogether.  It would make it easier for the boys to access their own stuff and the closet looks so cute now! 

In any case, I am thrilled to mark the closet off the to-do list!  

Update: Since sharing these DIY closet shelves, I’ve upgraded my fabric storage cubes to DIY wooden storage cubes made from gorgeous cedar planks. As great as the fabric bins were, these are so much better!

How to Build DIY Closet Shelves

Prep Time: 1 hour

Active Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 4 hours

Difficulty: intermediate

Estimated Cost: $40-$100

These DIY closet shelves are cheap and inexpensive to make even if you aren't an experienced DIYer. You can easily adapt the instructions and measurements to create custom shelves no matter what your closet size.

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Materials

• Spackle
• Paint 
• Sheet of MDF cut into 14" strips
• 1"x2" pine board to create the side supports (two 14" pieces for each shelf)
• 1"x2" poplar boards to create an attractive facing for each shelf (amount depends on the size of your shelves and closet)
• Screws
• Wood Filler
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Caulk

Tools

• Small paint roller and paint brush
• Tape Measure
• Saw
• Level
• Nail Gun or
• Hammer and Finishing Nails

Instructions

1. Remove everything from the closet including old shelves you will no longer be using. Patch any holes in the walls with spackle and give the interior of the closet a fresh coat of paint if needed.
2. Cut the strips of MDF to the correct length for your shelves. (If you don't have a power saw, you can have all of the cuts done at the store when you purchase your supplies.)
3. It is easiest to paint all of the pieces of wood for your closet shelves before installing them.
4. Cut two side supports for each shelf from 1"x2" pine boards. These should be 14" long or the depth of your shelves if you are using different measurements.
5. Make sure that each shelf support is level. Attach each side support to the side walls of the closet at the appropriate height by screwing them into the studs.
6. If you are building simple shelves rather than cubbies, you also need to add a long shelf support along the back wall of the closet. Simply cut another 1"x2" board to the length of your shelves minus three inches. Make sure it is level and then screw this support to the studs along the back wall.
7. To create the cubby dividers, cut more MDF to size. Each cubby divider should be the height of your shelves x the depth of your shelves. (Mine were 14"x14".)
8. Hold the bottom cubby dividers in place and use a level to ensure they are straight. Nail a few nails into the top of each divider through the shelf above to secure it in place. Repeat for the middle row and top row of shelves.
9. To finish off the closet shelves, add strips of 1"x2" poplar to the front of each shelf and cubby divider. Use a few finishing nails to hold each piece in place.
10. Fill any nail holes with wood filler. Once it is dry, sand it smooth.
11. Caulk all of the seams and then touch up the paint as needed.

Shared Boys’ Room Makeover

In case you missed anything, here are all the rest of the posts about my boys’ shared room makeover along with the big reveal! 

The Big Room Reveal! Boys’ Shared Modern Farmhouse Bedroom

Boys Room Makeover plans

How to Make Fabric Storage Bins

Boys Room Progress

Inexpensive DIY Closet Shelves (you are here)

Painting Furniture White: Secrets to the Perfect Finish

How to Make a Bed Skirt from a Flat Sheet

How to Make Gorgeous Farmhouse Window Awnings