How to Build an Inexpensive Industrial 2x4 Shelving Unit

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We snuck away for a quick getaway to the beach and it was so nice. The weather was cold and rainy, but the kids still enjoyed the beach, seeing the wild horses and swimming in the indoor pool. Sometimes all it takes is a stay away from home to reconnect and recharge.

I feel like I've been talking about this 2x4 project for weeks, so I am THRILLED to FINALLY be sharing it with you all today. It was a fairly straight forward and easy build, it just took me way too long to get motivated to get it completed.

Since I am lucky enough to have a well stocked supply of paint, stain and building supplies I was able to complete this build for less than $20.00! You can't beat that for custom storage!

HERE'S WHAT I USED:

- 8 2X4's
- Miter Saw (a hand saw will do if you don't own a Miter Saw)
- Drill Guide
- 2 Inch Screws
- Minwax Jacobean Stain
- Minwax Satin Poly
- Rust-Oleum ORB Spray Paint
- Sandpaper
- 4 (or 8) 12-gauge 4 inch L-Angle
- Black Upholstery Tacs
- Hammer

After I figured out the size I wanted my shelf to be I cut the boards down to size.

I started by assembling the shelves. This is where you'll use the drill guide to drill pilot holes into each board. This will allow you to join the boards together, minimizing the need for visible screws.

Once you have your shelf boards assembled you'll need to attach each side piece. Again, you'll use the drill guide to pre drill your holes.

Once you have all three shelves assembled you can start building the actual shelf.

I had my little helper with me for this part. He helped me drill pilot holes in the bottom of the legs before attaching the lower shelf. This reduces the risk of the wood splitting and also makes it easier to build if you are short a few hands.

After we attached the bottom shelf and 4 legs we attached the 2 remaining shelves.
Again, make sure to drill pilot holes before you screw in the screws.

After I had the shelf built I sanded it down, applied a coat of Jacobean stain then sealed it with clear poly. Although I was liking how the shelf was coming together, I felt it was missing something. I ended up buying 4 galvanized L-brackets that I sprayed with ORB spray paint then attached to the front of the shelf with black upholstery tacs. (I decided to save a few dollars and not added brackets to the back of the shelf.) Those metal brackets were just what this little shelf needed.

When I first started building the shelf I wasn't sure where it was going to end up. Halfway through the build I realized it would be perfect for Owen's room and compliment his wood and steel pipe shelves nicely.

I had originally planned on building a pallet desk for this space, but it quickly became apparent that he would benefit more from extra storage.

I have two sets of these green metal storage bins that float around our home. I still have one hanging in our mudroom and now the one that was once in my office is in Owen's room. I labeled each drawer so we can organize his loose Legos by color.

My son (as well as my husband) rides dirt bikes and 4-wheeler's, so of course we had to display his dirt bike that's an exact replica of his daddy's.

The metal bins store more Lego's while the magazine files house the manuals. The addition of metal label holders was an easy way to instantly spruce up the inexpensive cardboard holders.

I couldn't be happier with how this little shelf turned out! I love that it offers storage as well as frees up valued floor space for playing. The best part about this entire project is that it cost me less than $20.00 to build. Yay for inexpensive and functional DIY projects!