How to build open shelves for kitchen.....and some painting tips.

The open shelves we built in our kitchen were easy and affordable. I blogged about phase 3 of our kitchen project here ..Since the shelves were easy and afforable, I thought I would give you a list of the materials we used and a brief explanation of how to make them......We spent approx. $22 per shelf...Here is what you will need to make two 4 ft by 11 in. shelves.

4 black aluminum brackets.....found at Lowes $3.50 each...total $14.00

Chair rail...$1.20 linear ft. We used 6 ft..per shelf.....$14.40 for two shelves.

One-sided smooth ply wood..1/2 sheet $15.00. One 1/2 sheet for 2 shelves.

Use a miter saw to cut the edges of the chair rail to a 45 degree angle.

Attach the chair rail to the outside top edge of the cut plywood.

We use small finishing nails to attach the chair rail to the plywood and putty in the holes...We also use putty to fill in any gaps between the chair rail and plywood.

Primer and Paint the shelves.

My painting tips this week for us DIY kitchen cabinet painters.

Use WHIZZ paint rollers for cabinets and doors....They help you get a smooth surface....I highly recomend using these rollers...I find them at Lowes. I have also seen them on Amazon.com 

I will store them over night in a plastic baggy and reuse them the next day...If stored in a plastic baggy they will not dry out.....Saves us DIY'ers money and we like that! 

I be linking this up over at Linda's...see you there!