DIY Circle Wood Shelf

I've had my eyes on the round dorm shelf from Ferm Living for quite some time and have seen more and more circular wall shelves popping up again and again in stylish spaces I drool over. The price tags on most of these gorgeous shelves is hefty and way out of our budget, so I took the liberty of creating a budget-friendly version that retained the modern minimal look of the originals without breaking the bank.

One of the most challenging problems was where to find large circular wood pieces that didn't require a carpenter's know-how of bending wood. When I can't think up a solution (or Google a solution) to a DIY problem, I'll just go to a local craft or home improvement store and wander the aisles until a material stands out. This is the approach I took with the round wood circle and I found my answer in the quilting aisle... 23" round quilting hoops.

I couldn't use the outside hoop that screwed together since the wood wasn't connected, so I had to rely on the inside hoop that was already a full circle. I picked through the eight hoops they had in-store and picked out three that had similarly-colored wood and lined up evenly.



Get the rest of the DIY details and sources after the jump…

The hardest part of this project was figuring out how to connect the three quilting hoops to create one thick shelf look. Wood glue was the easiest solution and it sands down nicely, so that's what I went with. As you can see below, I put a thin line of wood glue around one layer at a time and carefully set the hoops on top of one another. I used toothpicks and mini clamps to secure the hoops and keep them aligned and bar clamps to keep pressure on the glue.

Here you can see the whole crazy clamping process in action. It was not pretty, but it did the job and those suckers lined up perfectly and did not move an inch after 8-10 hours of dry time. 

Once the clamping process was finished, I set to work on sanding down the glue and imperfections on the hoops. I started with a coarser grit sandpaper, working my way down to a very fine sandpaper to finish. 

After the hoops were completely sanded and smooth, I cut the basswood sheets to size. Since they're so thin, you could use an X-ACTO knife, but in order to get a super straight cut, I asked Rich to cut them on the saw. Then, using E6000 glue, I attached the sides to the inside of the hoop and placed it upright vertically to fully dry. 

Lastly, once everything was dried and secure, we drilled two small holes into the upper right and left hand sides of the hoops (through the center hoop) and strung leather lace through it, making secure and tight knots underneath the hoop. I used suede leather lace in a color called Toast. I really liked that it didn't too darkly contrast the unfinished wood look. 

And here is the finished shelf in the nursery. I think it looks so sweet with those little wooden Holtztiger animals. I can't wait to regularly mix and match other keepsakes to mix up decorations. I was, and still am, a little worried about having it hanging right above where we have the changing pad, but I think we'll see how it goes since the depth is pretty shallow and doesn't move too much.

What do you think? I think this circular shelf would look so amazing in a bedroom, bathroom or hallway and am considering making another one.

23" Quilting Hoops // Basswood 24" Sheets // 3/4" Mini Clamps // Steel Bar Clamp // Leather Suede Lace in Toast // Elmer's Wood Glue // E6000 Craft Glue // Holtztiger Wooden Animals // DIY Changing Pad Cover