DIY Cage Wall Shelf

Do you ever have an exact idea of what you want, only to find that ‘the thing you want’, doesn’t exist? This happens to me all the time and it happened again, when I was finishing off the hallway renovation. Except that I then eventually found similar, but at a price I didn’t want to pay. Bring on the DIY cage wall shelf. It’s an idea that I love, that eventually got shelved (!!) in favour of a charity-shop-find console table.

Now, this isn’t a difficult DIY but it does require the use of a jig-saw.

What You’ll Need;

The whole project is based around one ready-made wall-hung object…

A hanging basket.

In addition to this you’ll need;

Pencil

Ruler

Wood glue

Sandpaper

Finishing wax or varnish

Screws and appropriate wall fixings.

This simple and affordable frame, is pretty much ready to go. It’s available in a range of sizes and costs between £8-£22.00. I bought mine from Ebay (here). All it needs is wood for a top, and some spray paint for colour. This cost me less than £20.00 to make.

DIY Cage Wall Shelf; How To.

There really aren’t many steps here. It’s more a case of ‘pointers’ rather than ‘steps’.

I used a piece of reclaimed wood as top… so it cost nothing. Place the basket on your chosen top and mark around the outside edge with a pencil. Then, using your ruler, add on your chosen ‘overhang’ around the front edge. I wanted mine to overhang the frame by 2cm.

Using your jig-saw (and wearing safety goggles!) cut out along the line of your largest measurement. I bought a new jig-saw recently as my last one was utter crap. It was a cheaper brand bought from B&Q and couldn’t cut butter. I opted for the Makita M4301 this time and it’s brilliant! Such a difference and so easy to use. (find it here).

To ensure that your top sits firmly on the frame, place the basket back on to the top, on the original marked lines. Mark the inside edge along the front and back centre. Transfer these measurements on to a thin piece of wood. This will act as an anchor for the top.

You can see in the image above that I cut a small notch out of the wooden anchor. This allows the top to sit comfortably on the frame, taking into account the wire uprights. This actually gives further support and stops the top from slipping side to side. Glue in place

Give the edges a good sand to remove any rough edges, then finish with your choice of wax, oil or varnish, depending on preference and use.

I decided to give mine a coat of primer then spray paint, but you could of course, just leave it black. As the top is removable, this could easily be used as storage, rather than just as a decorative piece.

Although it hasn’t found the right place for it yet, my DIY cage wall shelf will eventually have a permanent home.

…like most things in this house!