DIY Floating Hexagon Shelves

Geometric shapes have been trending interior design for the past few years, but the hexagon is the shape of 2017. Hexagon tiling, honeycomb wallpaper, and hexagon shelving are all bang on trend and I’m loving the look. Today I’m showing you how to make your own DIY floating hexagon shelves, it’s simple, affordable and you can paint and stain as you please.

I’m starting to buy bits for the Twins’ transition to big boy beds and the room makeover they’ll be getting with it. I’m trying to keep costs down because buying two beds, mattresses and bedding are enough to blow the budget on its own, without all the pretties to go with. The Home Depot is selling four hexagon shelves for $99, but I made my set of three for around $12… bargain. I chose to paint them to match the Twins’ geometric mural on the other side of their room, so I feel like everything is coming together nicely!

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Tools for DIY Floating Hexagon Shelves

One of the reasons I was keen to get stuck into this project is I treated myself this month to a new miter saw. It’s been ages since I bought a new toy and it really is the best… so much DIY fun to be had! I miter saw makes the perfect angled cuts in seconds, but I appreciate not everyone has space or funds to buy one. Alternatively, you’ll have to clamp guides and cut by hand. Unfortunately, none of the cheaper hand miter tools seem to offer a 30-degree angle, so you’ll be measuring and marking the angle by hand and trying to keep you cut as straight as possible.

SUPPLIES for three Shelves

• 2 wooden boards: Each 6ft x 4″ x 1″
• 36 screws: I used #6 x 1-½”
• Wood glue;
• Wood filler;
• Sandpaper;
• Masking tape;
• Paint.

All the action was caught on camera… here’s the video!

Method for DIY Floating Hexagon Shelves

1. Cut six lengths of wood for each shelf, 5″ 7″ and 9″ lengths will create hexagons with approx full width 19″ 15″ and 11″. Cut the wood lengths at 30° using a miter saw.
2. Glue the hexagon together and hold together using masking tape while it dries.
3. Drill pilot holes (to prevent cracking) and countersink holes (a wider hole just a few mm into the wood to hide the screw head) for two screws in each joint. 
4. Screw your DIY floating hexagon shelves together.
5. Fill over the screws and sand all over.
6. Prime and paint as you like. I masked off the front and inside to leave exposed and painted the outside to hide the screws and give them some color.
7. Float hand by balancing on nails in the top corners of the hexagon, or using sawtooth hangers. 

Hanging The Hexagon Shelves Safely

These shelves do look awesome when they’re floating and the hanging suggestions above are most commonly used with this type of shelving. However, I’m going to be putting mine up in my soon to be two-year-old twin boys’ room. Unless they are way out of reach, I suggest something more solid for fixing… I know it won’t be long before the Twins grab at them and they fall off the wall, probably towards a two-year-old face.

I’ll likely be going for the foolproof option… exposed L-shaped corner brackets. But, they will no longer be ‘floating’, so a sensible in-between would be playing around with some hidden keyhole hangers… hmmm, I’m still brainstorming this as you can see! 

Final Thoughts

I’m really pleased with my DIY floating hexagon shelves and I feel one step closer to finishing the Twins’ room. I’m still deciding exactly what to put on them… cactus is also not a good choice for a kids room! I’m thinking some toy dinosaurs or an air purifying spider plant. If you missed my DIY makeover of their closet and their mural, go check it out here!