Pipe Shelves DIY – How To Make Cheap And Easy Pipe Shelves

 Did you guys catch our nursery reveal? I still can’t believe that my creepy attic is now our baby’s sweet little nursery. Well, today I’m back with a super easy and inexpensive project that came out of this room — my pipe shelves DIY!! I’ve always wanted to make pipe shelves but really never had a reason to until now. I wanted to add some storage to this space and give it a touch of the industrial look. I was also very overwhelmed with the pipe selection at Home Depot and Lowe’s. There were so many different types of pipes and pieces and they were fairly expensive.  This project was going to be a lot more complicated than I first thought.

Just when I was about to scrap my pipe shelf idea I got super lucky and found exactly what I was looking for at Hobby Lobby. I was shopping for brackets and found that they sell all the pieces that you need to make pipe shelves. Who knew?!? Their selection simplified the pipe building selection and process. And, the best part is that they were also 50% off. So, here is what you need to get started.

Materials For Pipe Shelves DIY

• Pipe pieces from Hobby Lobby
• Drill
• Level
• Tape Measure
• Screws
• Wood for Shelves (I used a gray shiplap board from Home Depot)
• Spray Paint (optional)

Determine the Quantity of Bracket Parts You Need

I’ve labeled all the pipe pieces above.  Below is the quantity I bought of each corresponding piece.  These quantities represent the amount needed to make 1, 3 level bracket.  I made 3 brackets in total, so just adjust these numbers based on your needs.

1. 4 pieces
2. 5 pieces
3. 2 pieces
4. 1 piece
5. 1 piece
6. 2 pieces

Assembling the Brackets

I needed to make 3 brackets for my space. After I had determined how many of each piece I needed, I literally just started putting them together like puzzle pieces. Each bracket took around 5 minutes to assemble. After I made my brackets, I had my husband tighten them by hand even more.

Painting the Pipes

For me, this step is very important. The black look was great but I wanted a slightly different color for my space, so I decided to spray paint them with a hammered spray paint .  I wanted my shelves to give my pipe shelves more of a galvanized look.  This step is optional (obviously).

Attaching the Brackets to the Wall

Measure to make your assembled brackets are evenly spaced out on the wall.  Then, hold the assembled brackets up to the wall and mark your holes.  If you happen to hit a stud, great,  If not just use some simple anchors to hold up your shelves.   I would suggest using a large level here and laying it across your pipes to make sure your shelf board will lay level.  Then, just drill your anchors, screws, and pipes into place.

Adding the Shelves

After you get them level and screwed into the wall, just add your preferred shelves. I used grey shiplap barn wood to match my walls. I love how this wood looks on the shelves!

And here are my shelves all finished and decorated! I seriously had the best time making these shelves. They added so much character to his little nursery, and he LOVES them. The best part about pipe shelves is their modularity.  You can pick and choose pieces to add as many shelves and brackets as you need to fit your space.

I added these cute locker baskets from Hobby Lobby for his blocks and books. I also added some wood crates at the bottom for extra storage. The wall and shelf decor were also purchased from Hobby Lobby.

It feels so good to say that I made these shelves all by myself. I’m all about an easy DIY, and this pipe shelves DIY was one of the easiest ones I’ve completed. The total cost of the project was around $175. That is a little more than half of what a real pipe shelf was going to cost me. I am thrilled with the end result!!

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