Last week we shared our DIY flower mobiles but intentionally didn’t show the entire wall because it looked a little unbalanced. To refresh your memory, here’s how that wall looked before the mobile project: it was, in a word, dull.
We always planned to hang a mobile above the changing pad, which would leave the other half of the wall over the dresser bare. Since we needed storage and wanted to avoid anything that might roll off a narrow shelf and land on the baby, we decided to add deep, pocket-style floating shelves. During a trip to Charlotte earlier this year we’d seen these types of shelves at a shop called Nesting and loved the idea: they display children’s books face-forward and keep items secure.
Rather than buy pre-made shelves, I decided to try building them myself. It felt meaningful: combining my grandfather’s woodworking background with my mother’s love of books seemed like a nice way to create my daughter’s first little library. Building from scratch would also let us tailor the measurements to exactly fit the space and our needs.
We started by mapping out placement with blue painter’s tape, trying a few configurations: three equal shelves, two staggered shelves, different heights and widths. In the end we settled on two shelves aligned on the right—one above a slightly longer one below—offset a bit on the left for visual interest.
With a layout chosen, I measured and calculated how much wood we needed to create boxy pocket shelves inspired by the ones we’d seen. We wanted ours a bit wider to hold a few toys alongside books and slightly shallower so covers remained visible. A trip to Home Depot yielded 0.75″ x 2.5″ poplar for the sides (light and affordable) and 0.5″ x 3.5″ maple for the bottom (sturdier and less likely to sag). All materials for both shelves cost under $14.
On Sunday I set up a makeshift workbench and got ready to build.
I’d been introduced to Kreg tools a few weeks earlier, and they kindly sent a selection of gadgets to try. The Kreg Jig, a pocket-hole joinery tool, was especially useful for creating strong, concealed joints using just a drill and their specialty bit. At first I was a little intimidated by the toolset, but the instructions made everything straightforward.
After measuring and cutting the pieces (if you don’t have a miter saw, most home improvement stores will make cuts for you), I started assembling the first shelf. The Kreg Jig lets you set the drill bit depth to match your stock thickness so you don’t drill too far. Once set, clamp the piece in the jig and drill the pocket holes.
Using the adjustable clamp, I secured the pieces and drilled two pocket holes where needed. The jig vents sawdust out the back, which helped keep the work area clear and my safety glasses dust-free. With the pocket holes drilled, I used a right-angle clamp to hold the short side to the front piece and drove Kreg’s self-tapping screws into the joints for a tight, concealed connection.
After assembling the four sides, I adjusted the jig and bit for the thinner 1/2″ maple base, drilled pocket holes, and attached the bottom. The process was quick and satisfying: solid joints without lengthy clamping or visible screws.
Repeating the same steps produced the second, slightly longer shelf in about twenty minutes. They’re simple box shelves, but I was proud of how clean and sturdy they looked.
For finishing, we opted to fill the pocket holes with wood filler rather than using the plastic or wood plugs Kreg offers. We used Dap Plastic Wood, let it dry, and sanded it smooth. Then we applied two coats of semi-gloss white paint—matching the trim paint used elsewhere in the house. Once dry, the shelves were ready to hang.
We installed the shelves by screwing them through the back into wall anchors, then painted over the screw heads inside the boxes. The shelves are solid—likely able to hold far more than the books and stuffed animals we’ll place on them.
We’re thrilled with the result: two DIY shelves that cost under fifteen dollars in materials, add useful storage, and bring a crisp modern line to balance the whimsical flower mobiles nearby. They’re also easy to update—swapping in a favorite book, rotating toys, or leaning a decorative letter once our baby’s name is decided.
Thanks to the team at Kreg for the confidence boost and the tools that made this project approachable. If you’ve tackled any carpentry projects—big or small—we’d love to hear about them. Maybe your next idea will inspire us to build something more ambitious.