DIY Hexagon Wall Shelves
I’m sure if I asked, most people would say they have an awkward space or blank wall in their home that they aren’t sure how to fill. I Pinterest-ed for hours looking for the perfect furniture piece, gallery walls, coffee bars, etc — and nothing worked. The wall is right in front of our staircase and we didn't want to block the walkway.
THEN. Someone sent me the idea to do a hexagon shelf wall and I FELL IN LOVE. Hexagons have significance to me in a billion ways - one of them being that my husband and I got married under a giant hexagon arch made by my dad! I went searching for some and BOY. They were expensive.
So I thought - they can’t be hard to make, right? — RIGHT. After watching a few videos on Youtube and getting a crash coarse from my husband on using a miter saw, I was a professional ready to work!
Here’s the best part: this entire shelf system cost me exactly $15 to make because all I needed were the boards! I’m going to breakdown the details for you the best I can because I’d love to inspire the next gal to “fill that blank wall!”.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1x4 (6ft) Boards (1 board = 1 hexagon, so get as many as you’ll need!)
Miter Saw
Brad Nailer (You can use a screwdriver & screws, but be careful not to split the wood!)
To get started:
First, you’re going to want to tilt your miter saw on a 30 degree axis. (See below!) This will give your boards the perfect angle for when you are ready to piece them together.
Next, you will take your 6 foot boards and cut them down to 12in pieces, flipping the board with every cut (see below).
Make your first cut like pictured above, and then flip the board over and make your next cut.
The opposite side of the board will look like this.
Once you have your six 12in pieces, you can begin putting your hexagons together! (Note: This is REALLY hard to do without another set of hands - but it can be done. Lol.) You will piece each corner together using wood glue and a clamp, pictured below. (There are other tutorials that show you how to situate the corners differently, but this was the sturdiest - in my opinion).
Once the wood glue is applied and you have a corner clamped, take the brad nailer and secure the pieces together. (Note: You can use a screwdriver and screws, but be careful not to split the wood). Then remove the clamp (the nails will hold it while the glue continues to dry) and add the next piece. You’ll do this all the way around until all six pieces form a hexagon!
Now that all of the hexagons are complete, you will arrange them in whatever design you’d like and secure them with screws! (Note: If your measurements are like mine, each hexagon will be 2ft across, so bear that in mind when designing your masterpiece. It can get pretty big!)
Next, you will want to sand them down (using either an electric sander or a sand block) until they are smooth and any dried glue is gone. Then you’ll just select your stain color (we used Special Walnut) and begin to stain the entire system using a paint brush, and wiping the excess with a rag.
Voilà! It really is that simple. It only took me a few hours from start to finish to complete this entire project!
