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Mini Floating Shelves[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 shelves
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Two compact 20" floating shelves for a bathroom, a bedside wall or the space above a desk. Each shelf is two boards edge-glued, and it screws down onto a slim hardwood ledger fixed to the wall. From the front the ledger reads as a thin shadow line under the back edge. One 2ft pack makes both shelves and both ledgers.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf pieces | 4 | Boards 1–4 | 20" × 4" × ¾" | 20" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Wall ledgers | 2 | Board 5, ripped in half | 20" × 1 15/16" × ¾" | 20" × 1 11/16" × ⅞" |
Shelves: 2 boards edge-glued, grain running the long way.
Ledger: half of board 5, on edge, flat face to the wall, #10 × 3" screws into the studs.
Shelf to ledger: 4 counterbored #8 screws down into the ledger, ⅜" wood plugs. No glue, so the shelf can come down.
Finished size: S4S 20" L × 8" D × ¾" thick, ledger 1 15/16" tall · S2S 20" × 7" × ⅞", ledger 1 11/16" tall.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 4 × #10 × 3" wood screws (plus 2 rated anchors if a stud doesn't line up)
- 8 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¼" (S4S) or 1½" (S2S)
- 8 × ⅜" wood plugs (or cut your own from offcuts)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- ⅜" counterbore bit (or ⅜" Forstner bit)
- Stud finder and level
- Flush-cut saw
- 3 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Boards 1–2 make shelf 1, boards 3–4 make shelf 2, and board 5 gives both wall ledgers. Pair boards with similar colour and grain.
- 2 Cut the shelf pieces. Square one end of boards 1–4 and crosscut each to 20". Clamp a stop block so all four match.
- 3 Glue up the shelves. Edge-glue boards 1 and 2 into a 20" × 8" shelf, and boards 3 and 4 into the second. Keep the ends flush and the faces level. Clamp, scrape the squeeze-out once rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 4 Make the ledgers. Rip board 5 down the middle with a push stick — 2 strips, each 1 15/16" wide. Crosscut both to 20" so they match the shelves.
- 5 Sand. Flatten the glue seams, then sand the shelves 120 → 180 → 220. Ease the front edges and corners. Sand the ledgers smooth — the front edge shows.
- 6 Drill the shelves. Draw a line ⅜" in from the back edge of each shelf — the centre of the ledger. Mark 4 holes on it, 2" in from each end and evenly spaced between. Drill a ⅜" counterbore ⅜" deep at each mark, then a clearance hole through.
- 7 Finish. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly to the shelves and ledgers, 2–3 coats. Let it cure before hanging.
- 8 Hang the ledgers. Find the studs. A 20" ledger reaches two studs at 16" centres if you centre it over a stud bay. Hold the ledger on edge, its 1 15/16" face flat to the wall and its top on a level line. Pre-drill and drive one #10 × 3" screw into each stud. If only one stud lines up, use a rated anchor (25 lb or more) for the second screw.
- 9 Fix the shelves. Set the shelf on the ledger, back edge tight to the wall and ends flush. Pre-drill through the holes into the ledger and drive 4 #8 × 1¼" screws. Tap ⅜" wood plugs into the holes with a dab of glue on the plug only, flush-cut and touch up the finish.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Boards 1–2 make shelf 1, boards 3–4 make shelf 2, and board 5 gives both wall ledgers. Pair boards with similar colour and grain.
- 3 Cut the shelf pieces. Square one end of boards 1–4 and crosscut each to 20". Clamp a stop block so all four match.
- 4 Glue up the shelves. Edge-glue boards 1 and 2 into a 20" × 7" shelf, and boards 3 and 4 into the second. Keep the ends flush and the faces level. Clamp, scrape the squeeze-out once rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 5 Make the ledgers. Rip board 5 down the middle with a push stick — 2 strips, each 1 11/16" wide. Crosscut both to 20" so they match the shelves.
- 6 Sand. Flatten the glue seams, then sand the shelves 120 → 180 → 220. Ease the front edges and corners. Sand the ledgers smooth — the front edge shows.
- 7 Drill the shelves. Draw a line 7/16" in from the back edge of each shelf — the centre of the ledger. Mark 4 holes on it, 2" in from each end and evenly spaced between. Drill a ⅜" counterbore ⅜" deep at each mark, then a clearance hole through.
- 8 Finish. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly to the shelves and ledgers, 2–3 coats. Let it cure before hanging.
- 9 Hang the ledgers. Find the studs. A 20" ledger reaches two studs at 16" centres if you centre it over a stud bay. Hold the ledger on edge, its 1 11/16" face flat to the wall and its top on a level line. Pre-drill and drive one #10 × 3" screw into each stud. If only one stud lines up, use a rated anchor (25 lb or more) for the second screw.
- 10 Fix the shelves. Set the shelf on the ledger, back edge tight to the wall and ends flush. Pre-drill through the holes into the ledger and drive 4 #8 × 1½" screws. Tap ⅜" wood plugs into the holes with a dab of glue on the plug only, flush-cut and touch up the finish.
How does the ledger work? The ledger is screwed to the wall and the shelf is screwed down onto it. With the shelf's back edge tight to the wall, the screws hold it level and stop it tipping forward.
Why does the ledger show? It runs the full length of the shelf, right under the back edge. From across the room it looks like a thin shadow line, and it lets you fix a short shelf into two studs.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Contrast ledger: cut the ledgers from a darker board so the shadow line stands out — walnut under maple.
- Stagger them: hang the two shelves 10–12" apart in height and offset sideways over a desk or bed.
- Bevelled front: chamfer the underside of the front edge so the shelf looks thinner.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Mount into wall studs (or rated anchors sized for the load). Check for wires and pipes before drilling.
- These are light-duty display shelves. Keep the load under about 10 lb per shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
About 10 lb per shelf — a few paperbacks, a plant, frames or candles. It's not built for heavy books or dishes.
Put one #10 × 3" screw into the stud and a rated anchor (25 lb or more) for the other. Keep the load light on that shelf.
Yes. Use hardwax oil or water-based poly, put a coat on the end grain and the back too, and keep it away from the shower spray.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off the end of every board. All 5 boards go into the shelves.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes two 46" shelves — we have a separate Easy Floating Shelves plan for that, with the same method.
