Mount a Kid-Friendly Floating Wall Shelf

A floating wall shelf is a kind of shelf with the wall brackets hidden inside it. As the name suggests, it appears to be floating in the air. A floating wall shelf will look great in your kid’s bedroom. It can be a storage space and a piece of art. Also, it can give a sleek, contemporary look to the room. You can buy a floating wall shelf and all the accessories needed to mount it on the wall from the hardware or home improvement store.

Step 1 – Find the Position of Studs in the Wall

A stud finder is a small handheld device, used to find the position of studs in the wall. Mounting the shelf into the wall studs will give it more strength and stability. You can find the position of the studs in the wall using it. Alternatively, you can also use wall anchors, if you cannot find the studs. But the wall anchors cannot carry much weight. That is why studs are preferred to wall anchors.

Step 2 – Measure Your Wall and Shelf

Keeping in mind the location of the wall studs, decide where you want to mount the shelf. Decide on the length of the floating shelf, and write it down on paper. Floating wall shelves come in different shapes and sizes. Let your kid choose their favorite shape and color.

Step 3 – Confirm the Position of Shelf on the Wall

Confirm the position of the shelf on the wall. You may want to select a lower position, so that your kid can reach the shelf easily. Mark the position of the shelf with a pencil. Be sure that the marks are level and equidistant from the floor. Stand back and have a look at the markings and confirm a second time.

Step 4 – Mark the Position of Holes

Now, mark the position of holes to be drilled on the wall. The holes are drilled directly into the studs.

Step 5 – Drill the Holes

The next task is drilling the holes for the brackets. These are pilot holes. Drill a hole, insert 1 bracket half way and place a spirit level on top of it, to mark the second hole. This will ensure that the 2 holes are at the same level.

Step 6 – Attach the Brackets

Now it’s time to attach the wall brackets to the wall. They are attached using the screws provided.

Step 7– Test the Wall Brackets

Check whether the wall brackets are sitting firmly on the wall. Check if they are loose, or if there are any cracks around it. If they are loose, you have to remove the brackets from the wall and redo the process on another part of the wall. If they are firm enough, you can continue with the mounting process.

Step 8 – Mount the Floating Wall Shelf

Insert the brackets into the holes on the back of the floating wall shelf. The shelf will sit comfortably on the brackets.