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Lolly Jane

DIY farmhouse shelves

DIY· Home Decor· Home Improvement· Kelli's Home

31 Jul

Learn how to build thse DIY farmhouse shelves! So easy to make your own from unfinished wood. Just add paint and stain! Lots of pretty farmhouse decor ideas!
Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint! 

Hi there, are you following us on Instagram and Pinterest? We update daily and you’ll have seen that I’ve been on the hunt for old, chippy corbels for a couple of years but haven’t had any luck finding more than 2 at a time.  When I started my dining room makeover, I became anxious to finish it (poor hubby was sick of our house being in disarray, lol).  With a few bucks and a little more time, we were able to mimic the look I was going for and love how it turned out. Sure love our DIY farmhouse shelves in here on our newly wallpapered wall!

Supplies to make DIY Farmhouse Shelves:

These supplies contain affiliate links for your convenience. When you make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. I only recommend products that I personally use and genuinely recommend. Thank you for your support!

  • unfinished corbels
  • Minwax Stain: Dark Walnut color
  • foam brush
  • petroleum jelly/Vaseline
  • chalk paint powder and paint (you can use latex paint; chalk paint powder just has better coverage when added to paint)
  • wax to seal
  • paint and wax brushes
  • sander

How to build farmhouse shelves:

Check out the tutorial: #DIY Farmhouse Style Corbel Shelves. Such an easy to follow tutorial on how to make farmhouse shelves. Love the farmhouse style!

We took a trip to Home Depot together and browsed their unfinished corbels.  We decided on these $13 plain corbels, I didn’t want them to compete with the decor that would sit atop the completed shelves.

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

I stained the edges and corners with my fav stain, Minwax’s Dark Walnut.  I applied it with a small foam brush.

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Using my finger (after the stain dried), I rubbed some petroleum jelly on the spots I didn’t want the paint to stick to for easy distressing.  I didn’t want to chance the raw wood color showing through and the jelly acts as a barrier to preserve the deep color.  (See another project we used with this Vaseline trick a few years ago!)

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

We mixed our favorite chalk paint powder into flat paint (we prefer not using the paint + primer in one but it’s hard to find them separate nowadays) then brushed it on over the whole corbel.

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

I didn’t include the picture but I power sanded the edges until I liked the amount of dark showing through.  The paint came right off thanks to the petroleum jelly barrier, whoop!

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

We then waxed it to seal them since they’ll be near food in the dining room.  If any particles manage to land on them, I’m now able to wipe them down since the wax is the protective barrier to preserve my hard work.

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Do you like them?  I adore how they turned out, super chippy!!

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Earlier this week we posted the wallpaper process, check it out!  Here’s the blank wall PRE-shelves:

Faux wood wallpaper from Walls Republic, a fast alternative to shiplap or planked walls. Looks so good in this farmhouse dining room! Come see the full before/after room reveal!

For the wood shelf, I’d have loved to score a giant piece of authentic barn wood but we’re in Arizona, a newer state and there aren’t a lot of options around.  So we grabbed a higher quality pine wood from Home Depot with no knots or imperfections and brushed on some more stain.  I sealed it with the wax as well.  

DIY farmhouse shelves! So easy to make your own from unfinished wood. Just add paint and stain! Lots of pretty farmhouse decor ideas!

How to hang farmhouse shelves:

  • Anchor your screws into the wall (using drywall screws or directly into a stud) and set corbels onto screws, (my corbels were pre-drilled.)
  • Once corbels are secure, lay 8′ piece of wood (or the length for your space) over the corbels.
  • Drill 2 screws directly into each corbel through the wood.
  • Decorate!

DIY farmhouse shelves! So easy to make your own from unfinished wood. Just add paint and stain! Lots of pretty farmhouse decor ideas!

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Time to start filling them up!  We’re sharing a final reveal after our lights arrive but here’s a peek at what they’re looking like, I love them!

DIY farmhouse shelves! So easy to make your own from unfinished wood. Just add paint and stain! Lots of pretty farmhouse decor ideas!That’s all we’re sharing for now.  We have some adorable pendants coming to finish the space off.  Just wanted to share the how-to for these fun faux vintage shelf brackets since we shared a peek on Instagram and had lots of questions about the details (: See how easy they are to make?? Please pin so your friends can make their own!

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Pretty farmhouse dining room shelves, click through to see how easily the room came together. Step by step how to create this look! Pretty farmhouse dining room decor ideas! DIY farmhouse shelves using stain + paint!

Update: Check out how our Farmhouse Dining Room is coming along!

Gorgeous farmhouse dining room. All the tips to achieve this look without breaking the bank! Love the aqua dining room accents and the farmhouse pendants too! Pretty neutral dining room ideas!

Visit more farmhouse shelf tutorials:

Kristi did her own version for her farmhouse chic dining room shelves:

Farmhouse Chic Dining Room Shelf decorating ideas... love!

Here’s the same concept in our laundry room:

Easy step-by-step tips to spruce up your laundry room on a budget! We transformed this space for less than $300!

And our recent creation: DIY Turnbuckle Shelves! LOVE how they turned out in our newly renovated bathroom!

WOW! Check out these pretty diy turnbuckle shelves!! Tutorial for an easy diy turnbuckle hardware kit included! Adore this farmhouse bathroom shelves!

54 Comments

About Lolly Jane

Meet Kelli & Kristi, twin sisters and authors of Lolly Jane. We are two busy wives + mommas who are makers of all things pretty. From signs to home decor and holiday crafts or redoing furniture in between soccer practices, we do it all all while armed with an ice cold Diet Coke. Join us in our DIY adventures! XOXO

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Comments

  1. Velma says

    03/14/2019 at 5:48 pm

    Hey Jane your shelves are beautiful. You are keeping it simple that’s what I’m looking for. Great job !!!! Jean

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      03/20/2019 at 11:09 pm

      Thanks so much, Velma!

      Reply
  2. Bonnie says

    02/13/2019 at 5:15 am

    Very nice I live in az also

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      02/13/2019 at 3:14 pm

      Well hello, neighbor 🙂

      Reply
  3. Melissa says

    01/24/2019 at 1:08 pm

    Beautiful shelf!! I am planning a similar project for my dining room. What is the thickness of your boards?

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      01/24/2019 at 5:23 pm

      Thank you, Melissa! It’s 1″ thick 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tanya says

    06/09/2018 at 6:41 pm

    Beautiful! Did u use the walnut stain for the shelf itself? And what did u use to protect the shelf? The same wax?

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      06/12/2018 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Tanya! Yes, we used Dark Walnut stain and sealed with wax 🙂

      Reply
  5. Rebecca Burton says

    02/25/2018 at 9:08 am

    Enjoyed this post.. corbels are soo expensive and this is a perfect alternative for me. Now off to Home Depot. Thanks again. I can do this. Rebecca

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      02/25/2018 at 10:09 pm

      Yay! Happy to hear that, Rebecca! Happy building! Shoot us an email or tag us @lollyjaneblog so we can share you version 🙂 XO

      Reply
  6. Eliisa says

    02/17/2018 at 11:28 am

    I am having a difficult time finding your brackets? What were the style of corbels you bought at home-depot?

    Reply
  7. Missy says

    02/14/2018 at 6:00 pm

    You ladies are the bomb(s)! We are just getting ready to put shelves up on our laundry room wall using corbels and barn wood. I so love the treatment you did on your corbels. I’ve never seen it done quite like that and I love it. Talented girls! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      02/14/2018 at 6:42 pm

      They’ll be perfect in that space! Here are some we put in my laundry room but didn’t distress as heavily 🙂

      https://lollyjane.com/laundry-room-on-a-budget

      Happy building! xo, Kelli and Kristi

      Reply
  8. Robin says

    12/31/2017 at 7:18 pm

    I’m confused. In the article you said the shelf was 5 foot. but the comments say 8 foot. Am I reading it wrong?

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      01/01/2018 at 4:35 pm

      It’s 8 feet 🙂

      Reply
  9. Sheena says

    12/01/2017 at 10:47 am

    Hi what did you cover the nail with? It looks white? Did you just paint over the nail that is in the wall? I was just looking at this in Home Depot before finding this post. Do you have them so the longer side of the corbels are connected the the wood and the shorter part is on the wall? I was trying to determine which way I would want them..

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      12/15/2017 at 2:18 pm

      Hi Sheena! The corbels come with little wooden plugs so we put those in after we screwed the shelf to the wall. The longer side is running along the wall, the shorter side is touching the wood shelf 🙂

      Reply
  10. Adsila Cando says

    09/15/2017 at 4:30 am

    Love the Corbels. Being in Australia, we don’t hear the term Farmhouse style, or word. Yet I absolutely adore it. I’m going to try and make my own Corbels from pallet wood. Products are limited here, so I tend to build and create Farmhouse Furniture and decor from scratch. TFS.

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      09/15/2017 at 1:59 pm

      Oh wow, Adsila, that’s amazing! I’m sure yours will be beautiful! Hello from Arizona, USA <3

      Reply
  11. EB95 says

    06/25/2017 at 3:16 am

    How did you attach the corbels to the wood and the wall? I love these so much

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      07/03/2017 at 12:15 am

      Thanks! Here’s the directions!

      To hang the shelving:

      Anchor your screws into the wall (using drywall screws or directly into a stud) and set corbels onto screws, (my corbels were pre-drilled.)
      Once corbels are secure, lay 5′ piece of wood over the corbels.
      Drill 2 screws directly into each corbel through the wood.

      Reply
  12. JaneEllen says

    06/16/2017 at 10:39 pm

    Love how those corbels look. think due to price will have hubs make our own corbels or some kind of shelf bracket, good old pallet wood . I would so love to take upper cabinets down in our kitchen but with the wind, dirt/gravel driveway and traffic on it everything would be so dirty would make me crazy. Wish I could take them down cause then wouldn’t have to paint them all.
    Love your nice long shelves, they look great, lovely styling job, have fun with that. Love this post and all others.
    Enjoy rest of weekend

    Reply
  13. Belinda Arnold says

    06/13/2017 at 8:36 am

    I was wondering if you sell these. Even though your directions seem easy-I am not talented at all and would rather buy some. If you would be willing to sell some, how much would you charge? I am interested in 4 of them.

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      06/14/2017 at 8:30 pm

      Email us! 😀

      Reply
  14. Jess says

    05/18/2017 at 8:12 am

    Very cute!

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
  15. Sandra says

    05/16/2017 at 3:59 pm

    You nailed the aged look!

    Reply
  16. Karen Schmitt says

    09/28/2016 at 6:17 am

    How wide is the shelving–8″?

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      09/28/2016 at 2:15 pm

      Hi Karen!

      Yes, the shelves are 8′ wide and 11″ deep (we purchased the 12″ wood from Home Depot but it’s actually measures 11″)
      They make a huge statement in our house and you will love them!

      🙂

      Reply
      • Robin says

        01/01/2018 at 7:55 am

        I’m confused. In the article you said the shelf was 5 foot. but the comments say 8 foot. Am I reading it wrong?

        Reply
  17. Bobbi says

    09/06/2016 at 5:56 am

    How long are the shelves?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      09/06/2016 at 5:58 am

      Also what is the gray on the the walls? wallpaper? Where can i get that look?

      Reply
      • Lolly Jane says

        09/06/2016 at 12:58 pm

        It IS wallpaper, good eye! You can see the whole process (and where to buy) here: http://lollyjane.com/faux-wood-wallpaper-walls-republic-review/

        Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      09/06/2016 at 12:57 pm

      They’re 8′ long 🙂

      Reply
  18. lisa says

    07/28/2016 at 12:42 pm

    Could you tell me the color of white you used? I didnt see it posted above?

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      07/28/2016 at 2:19 pm

      It’s “Ultra Pure White” from Behr Paint. (:

      Reply
  19. Lydia says

    04/16/2016 at 12:40 pm

    This is great. I love it. I showed it to my husband.

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      07/28/2016 at 2:19 pm

      Awww, thanks so much, Lydia!!

      Reply
  20. Sheila Allen says

    03/05/2016 at 8:58 am

    Love the look of these shelves. I have been seeing several tutorials about using petroleum jelly for distressing things. My question is, when you are painting, does the jelly not mix in with the paint an alter the way it stays on other areas of the project? Really wanting to try this, just want to know what to expect.

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      03/06/2016 at 11:59 pm

      Thanks Sheila! Since you just use a fine amount, it doesn’t mix in; it kind of acts like oil and water as the paint WON’T stick to it at all. Hope that makes sense. 😉 You can try it on a small scrap piece of wood before painting an entire piece to see how it works. Good luck!

      Reply
  21. Kim Pierce says

    03/03/2016 at 5:04 pm

    PLEASE tell me how you made or where you got your GATHER sign. I LOVE everything about it. The color of the frame, the font of the letters. THANK YOU!!!!

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      06/17/2017 at 12:19 pm

      We sell it! 😀 https://www.etsy.com/shop/LollyJane/items

      Reply
  22. Jes @mommyenvy says

    09/02/2015 at 8:01 am

    Fabulous! Can’t wait to make my own!

    Reply
    • Lolly Jane says

      09/02/2015 at 9:28 am

      Hope you do, they’re so easy!! (:

      Reply
  23. Amanda says

    08/13/2015 at 12:33 pm

    Wow! The corbels turned out stunning. They look perfectly aged! Bummer about not having barn wood available easily. I actually have seen some really neat tutorials about aging new wood to look like barnwood. But I’m also lucky to live in Ohio where there are no shortage of old barns. haha!

    Reply
  24. Colleen says

    08/13/2015 at 6:11 am

    Love this! I’ve been looking for farmhouse or DIY shelves to display my Grandmother’s china in our dining room and this looks gorgeous. I do have a question I haven’t been able to find the answer to, how much room is between your dining chairs and the shelves behind them? Our dining table and chairs are huge and I only have about 43″ between the table and wall. Is that enough room for full size shelves? Thank you!

    Reply
  25. Gerard says

    08/12/2015 at 4:12 am

    Wow great looking website I run a small family air conditioning company in in Australia and have found the diy market has helped grow our business. I was just just browsing the web at present as I am just about to do a diy upgrade on my web site also.

    Reply
  26. jwalker says

    08/05/2015 at 2:17 am

    Very, very lovely!! I read that you were thinking of offering this ‘gather’ sign in your etsy shop…any update on that?

    Reply
    • allyson says

      01/14/2016 at 5:54 pm

      Are you selling that gather sign?

      Reply
      • Lolly Jane says

        01/15/2016 at 11:29 am

        Hi Allyson! YES! https://www.etsy.com/shop/LollyJane/items

        Reply
  27. Virginia Fynes says

    08/02/2015 at 2:05 pm

    LOOOOOVE what you have going on here! Perfect chippiness on the corbels, they look legit. Can’t wait to see it all come together!

    Reply
  28. Dani says

    08/01/2015 at 11:28 am

    okay brilliant—totally dig this look! really creative.

    Reply
  29. Mia says

    08/01/2015 at 11:26 am

    Seriously cute, ladies!! I LOVE this and am so happy to know how you achieved that perfectly aged look!!!

    Reply

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WELCOME TO LOLLY JANE
We're Kelli and Kristi, identical twin sister DIYers to love to create and spruce up our spaces on a budget. Our eclectic blog is where we share it all... from home decor, crafts, furniture revamps, awesome project roundups, tasty recipes and more...all while armed with an ice cold Diet Coke!
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