Woodworking Project Plans from the Editors of Magazine Build a Rustic Ladder Towel Rack Build a Rustic Ladder Towel Rack A Screw Driver and screws Dry Wall Inserts or Toggle Bolts Milk Paint, wood stain, Polyurethane A Staple Gun (optional) A rustic ladder towel rack is a simple and quick project that can provide both additional storage space and a charming look to add to any decor. In approximately one hour and with very little money, you can create a great accessory item for your bathroom or kitchen. If you don't already own a ladder, you can pick one up at a yard sale or flea market for under fifty dollars. Step 1 - Prepare Your Ladder If your ladder folds out, simply remove the back of the ladder. Next, sand the wood down with fine grit sand paper.  If you want the natural wood exposed, rub in a gel wood stain or wood wax. If you prefer to paint, for a true vintage feeling, apply a coat of primer or milk paint. Once the ladder is dried, brush on a coat of polyurethane or spray your ladder with an acrylic sealant.   

This will protect your paint from peeling and lifting, and will protect the wood from moisture.  Curtains For Sale IrelandBe sure to let your paint or stain finish dry completely before proceeding.Best Deals On Front Load Washer And Dryer If you intend to place your ladder rack in the bathroom you may want to add a spot or two to hang jewelry on before jumping into the shower. Outdoor Furniture Costa RicaSimply cut a piece of window screen to fit the size of the opening between two rungs and staple it to the back of your ladder. This will look like a framed window from the front and you can use it to hang earrings. You can also secure a few cup hooks to the top rung of your ladder rack, which will provide the perfect place to hang necklaces individually so that they do not tangle.

Step 2 - Attach Your Ladder Rack Choose a great open vertical space and hang your ladder. Your rustic ladder rack will not require much space, and can even fit right next to a toilet or shower. Drill holes into each of the four ends of the wooden ladder so that you can attach the "L" Bricks at each end. Screw the "L" Bricks using 1/4" screws. If you are not drilling directly into a stud and your walls are made of dry wall use dry wall anchors or a toggle bolt. You can also hang your ladder with chains and S hooks, or, as an alternative, you can also lean your ladder up against a wall, just make sure that it is secure. Step 3 - Enjoy Your Ladder Towel Rack Once your ladder towel rack has been installed, simply drape towels over the ladder rungs, just as you would any other towel rack. You can even update your living room, den, or bedroom with your rustic ladder rack and drape it with quilts, fabric, blankets scarves, or use it to hold jewelry.  This easy project is a wonderful way to create a piece of beauty that can add character to any room.

Turn a Log into a Rustic PlanterUse these free shelf plans to build a wall shelf to hold your belongings, decorative items, candles, or whatever else you'd like.Building a shelf is a beginner woodworking project and these free shelf plans include everything you need to get the job done. There are step by step directions, diagrams, photos, and tips on how to build a shelf. You'll have a quality shelf that looks great when you're finished.There are all different styles of shelves here so be sure to look through all of them so you can find a shelf plan that will look great in your home, or make an excellent gift. There's everything from book cubbies to hanging towel bars for your bathroom.See these free bookshelf plans if you're looking for shelving specifically for holding books. I also keep a list of other free woodworking plans like ones to help you build a step stool, desk, dresser, night stand, entertainment center, farmhouse table, Little Library, potting bench, tiny house, cabin, birdhouse, router table, deer stand, swing set, playhouse, porch swing, home bar, tree house, jewelry box, loft bed, greenhouse, pergola, gazebo, deck, and Adirondack chair.

Free Cubby Shelf Plan at The House of Wood © Jen Woodhouse | The House of Wood, LLC Modeled after a $179 pine cubby shelf is this free (given you already have the wood) knockoff from The House of Wood, and it does a great job at looking identical.The shelf has three holding areas perfect for storing mail and magazines. It's 36" tall by 12" wide and 6.5" deep.It should take less than one day to complete this project. All the materials, tools, and some more information about the shelf are included in a PDF file you can find at the The House of Wood website. Ana White's Free Truck Shelf Plan © That's My Letter This shelf is more an organizer because it can sit on another shelf or tabletop, but it can also be hung on a wall like a traditional shelf.The shelf is just over 28" wide and 8" tall. In addition to the main area, this plan details building a smaller area at the front of the truck for things like pencils.Every little detail for building this truck shelf like the cut list, materials that are needed, and more, are available at Ana White's website. 

That's My Letter has some more photos and details of this shelf that you can check out. Rogue Engineer's Free Scrap Wood Shelf Plan This shelf is a bit different than the others in this list because it's your more casual shelf, which may be exactly what you're looking for.I don't much like that the instructions for building this DIY shelf aren't as detailed as some of the other plans from this list but I do think that it's simple enough to put together with the details that are given.All of the tools required to build this shelf are given in the plan, even with links to where to purchase them if you don't already have them. Strawberry Chic's Free Pallet Shelf Plan There are plenty of things you can do with wood pallets, like build a simple wall-mounted shelf.The idea behind this shelf is very simple: cut out a section of a pallet, smooth down the edges, and attach a bottom to hold your things.There are lots of up-close pictures in this plan, so understanding how to make the shelf shouldn't be too hard at all.

Home Hardware's Free Herb Shelf Plan © Home Hardware Stores Limited Like some of the shelves in this list that are built for a specific purpose in mind, Home Hardware's plan is for a shelf that holds pots, like ones used for fresh herbs.The shelf is 34.5" wide and can hold five pots. Follow the steps (here) and diagrams (here) to build this shelf. Ana White's Free Tree Shelf Plan This tree-shaped shelf is perfect for Christmas but also useful for any time of year. When finished, you'll have four shelves that, together, make the entire shelf 32" tall and just over 20" wide. You'll need 12 feet of 1x4 boards, some plywood, and other materials to build this shelf. The full list of materials and tools needed are listed out just before the instructions.Each step of the building process is documented in detail on Ana White's website and more pictures of the finished shelf can be seen at That's My Letter. RYOBI Nation's Free Dog Bone Shelf Plan A dog bone shelf is perfect for holding a leash, dog treats, and anything else you may use with your dog.

The instructions in this free shelf plan come with real construction pictures, so it's pretty easy to make sure you're doing this right as you move through the steps.As you can see in the picture, this shelf includes hooks on the bottom and 15"-16" of shelf space on top. Free Snowflake Shelf Plan at Chasing A Dream © Chasing A Dream Also great for the holiday's is this snowflake shelf from Chasing A Dream. The entire shelf is around 35" in diameter.Though this shelf seems complicated at first glance, I think you'll find it easy to work with if you walk through the steps carefully. Free Pegboard Shelf Plan from Better Homes and Gardens I love this shelf because you can rearrange the dowel rods however you like to adjust the layout of the shelves; you aren't stuck with any particular design.The backboard used in this plan is plywood. After drilling all the holes, you're just left with hanging the shelf on the wall and determining where you want your shelves to be.

This plan provides both written instructions and a video. Free Secret Floating Shelf Plan at Rogue Engineer This free shelf plan is also from Rogue Engineer, but it's much different in design. While it functions like a normal shelf to hold pictures and other things, there's also a hidden compartment just below it that you can pull down to store items you don't really want to be lying around.Dimensions for this shelf are around 31" wide, 3.5" tall, and 10" deepThere's a short video you can watch that explains how the secret shelf opens. Ana White's Free Garage Shelving Plan Ana White's shelves are much larger than any of the others in this list but that's because they're purposed for storage large containers and other big items in your garage.The shelf as a whole stands 6 feet tall and 20 feet wide, with all 12 individual shelves measuring 20" tall by 55" wide.This garage shelving should be pretty easy to put together given that there's a common structure across the whole thing.