DIY Photo Ledge Shelves (Inspired by Ikea's Mosslanda Line)

Today I’m sharing my plans to build DIY photo ledge shelving inspired by Ikea’s Mosslanda line…and for under $10 each! If you’re looking for a wall decor solution for a slim space, this is a beautiful and affordable approach.

DIY Photo Ledge Shelves (Inspired by Ikea’s Mosslanda)

I’m finally getting around to sharing this simple but beautiful woodworking tutorial for DIY photo ledge shelves inspired by Ikea’s Mosslanda line. We have the Ikea Mosslanda shelves in R’s nursery, and they are great.

But we live kinda far from an Ikea, and I hate having to pay Ikea shipping, so I decided to whip out a budget version of these for downstairs.

If you like easy woodworking projects with a big impact, check out my DIY spice drawer organizer, my DIY junk drawer organizer, my DIY space-saving sofa end table, my easy bathtub tray made from scrap wood, and a huge roundup of free builds that use pocket hole joinery!

I actually finished building one of these back in February, but it sat around waiting for me to build a second and decide what color I wanted to paint the wall they were going on! I know, nothing like a project dragging on and on and on…

But they’re done, praise be! And they look lovely. AND I did a nifty video to accompany the step-by-step tutorial. Be kind, my video skills are still pretty busch league. 🙂

Here’s what I used.

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Materials:

1×4 pine lumber, some primed already, some not. I just bought whatever was cheapest knowing I would be painting it all.
1/2 x 2 pine hobby board
Wood glue

Tools:

Finishing supplies:

Paintable caulk
Paint and brush

Hanging:

Stud finder
Drill, bits, wood screws
Paint and small brush

Cut list for one shelf:

(2) 1 x 4 x 4 (I bought a piece of 1 x 4 x 8 and cut in half)
(1) 1/2 x 2 x 48″

And here’s how I built DIY Photo ledge shelves.

(Remember to wear a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with wood. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and/or supervision. Read my full terms of use here.)

Prepping the Wood…

Step 1: First I squared off the edges of my 1 x 4 x 8 piece by using my miter saw to just shave a bit off. The ends are never perfectly square, it seems.

Then I cut the piece in half. I’m calling this a 4-foot shelf, but in realize it’s just slightly under 4 feet. I also squared off the ends of the lip piece and made sure all three pieces were exactly the same length.

Here’s a shot of exactly what I used from Home Depot. I think you can get similar lumber at Lowe’s but I generally have an easier time finding these smaller hobby boards at Home Depot. I *think* Lowe’s has the same type of lumber, but it’s in the priced by foot section.

Step 2: Next I used my orbital sander to quickly polish up all three pieces and sand down any splintered edges. No pics of this, but it is in the video!

Assembling the DIY photo ledge…

Step 3: I wanted to attach the back and bottom pieces through the back of the back piece to hide the nails. So I clamped the bottom piece to my workspace (good side up if there is a preferred side) and ran a line of wood glue along the back edge.

Step 4: I then pressed the back piece up against the glued edge firmly and used my nail gun do secure everything in place.

Since the bottom piece was clamped in place, I didn’t have to worry about anything moving as I permanently attached the back piece and let the glue dry. Yay clamps!

Step 5: Once the back and bottom pieces were constructed, I ran a line of wood glue across the front of the bottom piece. Then pressed my lip piece in place, attaching it using my nail gun.

This is the same process as attaching the back piece. Clamps will help you keep everything in place and lined up perfectly as you work. Here’s a shot of everything constructed:

Finishing and painting…

Step 6: I used paintable caulk to smooth out any seams, as well as fill nail holes. Once it was dry, I painted the shelf using two coats of black paint.

If you’re staining your shelving, you’ll obvs want to use wood filler here (but then again, you’d be using something other than primed boards, so you know that!)

How to install a picture ledge

To install the picture ledge, I found where I wanted to place it and located the studs. I then marked where on the ledges the studs would be and used my drill and drill bit to pre-drill holes for hanging.

We used regular wood screws and just touched up the screw heads with a bit of black paint to help them blend in. This is a similar approach to what the Ikea Mosslanda shelves do—except they come with small stickers to place over the screw heads. Smart, Ikea!

And here they are hung and styled. They are perfect for such a narrow space.