How to make shelves in the pantry with your own hands

Storage racks are very good equipment for storing a variety of things, preservation and other household utensils. Some do without them, pile up the unsightly mountains of boxes and boxes in all corners, hang objects on nails driven into walls. However, this is too impractical, this article discusses how to make a rack in the pantry and equip the room with shelves.

How to plan racks in the pantry

To equip the pantry with shelving, the room should have enough space.

To do this, you must:

Clean the pantry.
Plan the location of the shelving.

It should be borne in mind:

Item Dimensionsfor which racks are intended. For example: storage of various boxes requires more space than cans with canned food.
Free place, remaining after the arrangement of structures so that they do not occupy too large a space, otherwise it will be inconvenient for a person to move indoors.
Gaps between existing sections: at too great distances, the shelves will bend due to the increased load on them.

Shelf layout can be done in several ways:

Side elements of the rack are attached directly to the walls. In this case, the shelves are located from wall to wall. Such designs:

have great stability
easier to make
but it will be much more difficult to move them: you will need to completely remove structures from the wall, and then disassemble. But the racks for the pantry room rarely move, it is enough to assemble them once, and they will be in the same place for a long time, so this option is often suitable for the pantry room.

Tip: This option should not be used for long walls. Very long shelves will bend heavily under heavy load.

Storage racks do not depend on the wall, they are made in the form of the letter "P". In this case, the structure stands on the floor like a chair or table, it can be freely rearranged to any convenient place. Such devices can be of unlimited length and can be used in any room.

Shelving arrangement L-shaped. In this case, large shelves are used.
The device shelves at the end of the pantry.

The owner chooses the shelving option for the pantry at his discretion. After drawing up the layout, the required amount of materials is calculated and you can proceed with the manufacture of the rack with your own hands.

How to make a rack

The manufacturing technology of the design depends on the type of rack option selected.

To make any rack in the pantry with your own hands, you will need to purchase tools:

Bars of the necessary sizes.
For shelves boards or slabs.
Quality construction level.
Electric drill screwdriver.
Hammer drill.
A regular hacksaw or saw of a different type.
Pencil and tape measure.

Materials are most often used:

Wooden bars 50x50 millimeters.
Any boards, but of sufficient length and strength, so that they withstand the load necessary for them.
Boards can be replaced with wood chipboards, plywood sheets and other similar materials, including plastic or fiberboard, for small and light things and objects.

In the case where the frame is fixed rigidly to the wall, it is necessary:

Fix horizontally to the wall of the bars, the distance between which determines the height of the shelves.

Tip: The bars should be fixed in pairs, so that on each pair lay one tier of the structure.

Design, construction and mounting methods

Before you start creating a rack, you need to decide what the shelves in the pantry and the structure itself will look like, as well as what kind of fastenings the shelves connect to the wall.

There are only two options for how to make a rack, namely to make a stand-alone shelf, or simply fix the boards directly to the wall.

First, it’s worth portraying the idea on paper. This will allow you to visualize the desired rack, make measurements and most successfully place it, taking into account the wishes and proposed items of storage.

In order for the pantry to be equipped with shelving, there should be enough space in it.

It should be borne in mind that the shelves should be arranged in width from bottom to top, that is, the lower shelf will be the widest, and the upper, respectively, the narrowest. This is due to the fact that on the lower shelves the most overall objects will be stored, which are inconvenient and inappropriate to lift up.

It is necessary to carefully consider the distance between the shelves and relate it to those items that are planned to be stored.

Depending on the desire of the owners, the racks can have any shape that allows you to realize the place chosen for fastening the structure.

You need to consider the amount of free space - if the racks will occupy too much space, then it will be inconvenient for you to walk in the pantry.

More often the U-shaped and L-shaped form is chosen, this type of shelves is the most practical. For installation, it is better to prefer metal brackets and fasteners, they are the most durable, can withstand any weight on the shelves.

Choose any option that suits you.

Necessary materials

When deciding how to make shelves in the pantry, you need to decide on the material from which the structure will be made. There are several options.

This will be enough to have good and reliable shelves in the pantry where you can store anything.

It is advisable to make the rack directly in the pantry, since if it is large, then it will be difficult for you to bring it inside.

If it is assumed that the shelves will be loaded with preservation, then a solid board with a width of about 30 mm will be the best choice.

Any boards are suitable - the main thing is that they have a sufficient length and withstand the expected load.

In addition to wooden materials, you can choose others, the main thing is strength and the possibility of self-assembly. In addition to the shelves, you should stock up on the fixtures on which the shelves will be installed, supplies necessary for work.

In order to make wooden racks for the pantry, you will not need a lot of materials and serious tools.

Tools for work

To understand what tool is necessary for work, you need to clarify what exactly should be done. If the material for the shelves is not prepared and needs to be cut and sharpened to the desired size, then it is imperative to have a jigsaw or hacksaw for wood and a plane. They will help make the shelves the right size. And you will also need sandpaper to process the edges of the cuts and give the shelves a finished look.

Tools needed for the job.

You need a puncher to create holes in the wall under the dowel-nails to fix the brackets, a screwdriver to connect the parts to each other, if necessary.

This is enough to have good and reliable shelves in the pantry where you can store anything.

Without fail, you will need:

Roulette, to create a marking and distance measurements,
The construction level, so that the rack with shelves is smooth,
Pencil or colored chalk for marking the wall.

When you have prepared all the materials, you can proceed, respectively, to the very process of installing them in place.

Choosing a shelf space

Thinking how to make shelves in the pantry, it is important to decide on the place. The place where the shelves will be mounted should be chosen taking into account many factors.

The wall on which the fastening is planned to be made must be a supporting one.

This is the key to strength and durability of the structure. A thin interior partition may not be able to withstand the load and shelves made by heavy objects will collapse.

In addition to boards, chipboards, plywood and other suitable materials can be used.

If mounting is not directly to the wall, then you can dream up in accordance with the desired form of arrangement.

Consider the dimensions of the items that are supposed to be stored.

It is important to prepare the room of the pantry room itself, align it in advance and tidy up the walls so that the shelves get up evenly and there is no need to adjust them to the relief of the wall.

It is worth taking care of the lighting before the installation of the rack.

Manufacturing and installation process

So, the place for the rack is selected, all the tools and materials are prepared, the layout of the shelves on the paper is made, and all the dimensions are verified and calculated? You can begin the basic process of making shelves and mounting the structure.

Using a tape measure, the height of the shelves in the center of the room is noted and horizontal lines are drawn with the help of a laser level.

Using a puncher, you need to make holes in the wall in those places where the brackets will be attached.

Using dowel nails, guide profiles are attached to the walls.

Fasten the bases for the brackets and install them.

Their number depends on the desired number of shelves, and the distance between them determines the height of the shelves.

It’s better to clarify the dimensions and cut out the template from cardboard for greater accuracy.

Having checked them with the installed brackets, you can start trimming. After the shelves of the right size are cut out, it is worth processing the saw cuts with sandpaper to remove roughness.

This will give the shelves a decent look.

It is better to have shelves with a higher height below.

Shelving with shelves in the pantry is ready! You can safely use it to store things and optimize the surrounding space.

As you can see, this is not particularly complicated, and after installing racks and shelves you can store items in the pantry most rationally and conveniently.

Preparatory stage: choose the location of the shelves and materials

Usually the shelves are mounted separately to the wall or made of them stationary and mobile shelving for the pantry. This equipment is with side racks or walls. By location in space, they can be:

Linear. Elements are located on one or two opposite walls. Suitable for small areas up to 2 m.
Corner More capacious designs in the form of the letter G, but in a small space may not fit.
U-shaped. Ideal if you have a large or elongated and narrow closet. But you need to consider whether there is free space in the middle to easily enter and take something.
With rounded edges. It is convenient to make such surfaces in tight pantries. They save a little area and are less traumatic.

Less common are storage systems with drawers and in the form of a designer - when the compartments have different lengths, widths and are located not only horizontally. This is understandable: to make such furniture, you need more time and knowledge than for a simple design. Prefabricated or modular open cabinets also exist. They include various elements: shelves and containers, which can be easily interchanged, assembled, disassembled.

What material is suitable for the manufacture of shelves: photo shelving

If you plan to put conservation in three-liter jars, large equipment or other heavy things into the pantry, choose wooden or metal parts. They are stable, they can be loaded even with building materials. However, in this case it is recommended to install a stiffener. The alternative is plastic: it is lightweight, also can withstand severe loads, does not require additional processing and does not grow moldy, it is easy to wash.

To store bulk products in containers, vegetables, small items or collection items, light dishes, clothes, books, you can use reinforced glass, MDF, plywood. If you keep fragile items in the back room, attach sides to the compartments so as not to lose your property due to awkward movement.

The best option for arranging a home closet is considered to be a tree (best of all, pine or larch). It looks aesthetically pleasing, easier to use. Another plus is that usually at home there are most of the tools for working with it or they are easier to find.

We have not listed all of what racks are made of. Often the choice of craftsmen falls on what is at hand. For example, wooden pallets, plastic boxes for vegetables and fruits, disassembled old furniture. Convenient storage systems can also come from all this. The main thing is to think over all the little things well: what will you put into the closet, in what quantity and in order.

If nothing comes to mind, look at the pictures that we have selected. In the photo - options for shelves in the pantry, made by yourself. Perhaps among them you will find an idea for your apartment.

Necessary tools and materials

If you liked some kind of pantry, seen in a photo or video, with suitable shelves and shelves, why not do it yourself. Even in a small and narrow pantry, you can get a practical and comfortable room for household supplies and not only.

You will need a set of tools and some materials, consisting of:

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from bars
boards or plates for shelves,
level
screwdriver
drills
screwdrivers
hacksaws
roulettes
pencil
good lighting
good mood.

From the bars you can make a base. Here it is better to choose wood products. You will have enough bars with a cross section of 50x50 mm.

As for the boards, it can be made of chipboard, wood, MDF and other wood-based materials, including ordinary plywood. Indeed, furniture is also actively produced from plywood. What can we say about the shelves.

Floor plan

Since you need to make shelves and racks indoors for the competent organization of storage of things and clothes, it is recommended to plan everything in advance. It is optimal to make drawings, and already do the work on them.

Cutting can be done to order, or do it yourself. It all depends on the selected material and the tools you have.

When working and planning, consider several important points:

Determine in advance the list of things that will be stored there. This will allow you to decide what is the optimal height for a particular shelf,
Do the most capacious and highest shelves below,
The most compact at the top to store rarely used items there,
Be sure to leave a place to make it convenient for you to walk around the pantry and move indoors,
Do not make too large gaps between sections, as otherwise racks and shelves will bend.

Following these fairly simple rules, you yourself can figure out how to plan a pantry competently and as practical as possible.

Be sure to reinforce long shelves with jumpers. Thus, they can withstand the heavy load you need.

If you plan to store preservation and heavy objects there, it is better to immediately stop on the shelves and racks of wood. Mounts are best used in profile and metal.

Decide on the optimal layout of the shelving.

There are 2 common options:

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Fixed designs. Here the shelves are located on the sides and go from wall to wall. Shelves are stable, there are no problems with manufacturing. But in terms of movement is more difficult. All then have to remove and disassemble the structure. It is not suitable for walls that are too long, because the shelves will bend. It’s unlikely that you will need to move such shelves, because for most pantries the option is excellent,
Floor options. Such racks are not dependent on the wall. Similar designs are located on the floor, and therefore they are easy to move. The length can be any, according to your taste and desire.

In fact, the choice is to fix the structure on the wall or not. Both options are good in their own way, but at the same time, fixed products will be more stable.

You decide in any case. Corner or direct type of pantry, largely depends on the dimensions of the room and on what you want to place there.

DIY assembly

Let's see how to make shelves and racks that are fixed to the wall. To be more precise, it is the frame elements that are fixed.

First you need to horizontally fix the bars. Fits with a cross section of 50x50 mm are suitable,
Bars should be fixed in pairs. At each level there will be one tier of racks,
Determine the distance between the bars in advance, since the height of the shelves depends on this,
Then, shelves of the selected material are laid on the bars,
Shelf boards are better to fix on the bars,
You can do this with screws and corners,
On this work is completed.

In fact, the main thing here is to fix the bars themselves evenly and firmly. And laying shelves is no longer a problem.

The second option is somewhat more complicated.

First, make the bars for the racks. The section is the same, 50x50 mm, and the length is 200-400 mm shorter than the height of the ceiling,
Thus, the upper level will become an additional shelf,
If required, similar bars are fixed in the middle,
Shelves will rest on them and not bend under the weight of things,
The span is determined based on the planned load,
On the side parts are mounted jumpers for shelves,
Having fixed the shelves on the jumpers, a rather strong structure is obtained,
At will, it is further enhanced.

Such structures can be left free of walls, or fixed to the walls of the pantry.

A bit about the shelves

If we talk about shelves for shelves, then you yourself decide how the option suits you best. The most common, practical and strong will be a wooden board of the required dimensions.

Particleboard boards are cheaper, but their level of resistance to moisture is quite low. Because here, think about how to do better, and what are your financial capabilities. Plastic is suitable for the most light objects. There are also metal shelves, but they will have to be bought separately;

Try to position the most durable and roomy shelves below. Leave the upper tiers under things that have less weight and are rarely used by you.

By thickness, choose shelves of at least 10 millimeters when it comes to wood. But it is better to use products with a thickness of 20-30 mm. There should already be based on the expected load.

By analogy in the pantry, you can make a shelf for shoes, or implement interesting ideas for the dressing room on the basis of the pantry.

As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated here. It is only important to take into account the available space, competently dispose of the available space and pre-think about the type and weight of things that will be stored there. Elementary calculation, procurement of materials and the simplest connection allow you to get a practical and functional design.

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