Contributor post by  Caitlin of The Merrythought


I don't know about you, but I've been really into stacking piles of rings on my hands lately and I'm loving it! The only problem comes when I take them off and they get scattered across (and fall behind) my dresser each night. I've been looking for a simple little home for my rings so I decided to make a shallow, standing shelf for them. It's the perfect mix of simple, natural, and geometric.

What you need:
-Paper
-Pencil
-Ruler
-2 pieces of 1/2x2x36" wood
-Mitersaw
-Nail Gun (short, thin nails and a hammer would work as well)
-Stain (optional)
-Plywood (optional)
-Scroll Saw

How to make it:
-Use your ruler to sketch out the shape you would like to make your shelf on a large piece of paper.
-Lay your craft board on your drawing with one of the 1/2" edges lined up with the line you already sketched out and trace along the other side. So you can see where each piece of wood should lay once you put it together.
These were my measurements:
Bottom piece 11 3/4" top and bottom edges
Left side, small triangle 7 1/4" outside edge, 6 1/8" inside edge
Right side, small triangle 6 3/4" outside edge, 6 3/16" inside edge
Inside shelf, small triangle 2 3/4" top edge, 3 5/16" bottom edge
Left side, large triangle 5 5/8" outside edge, 5 1/2" inside edge
Right side, large triangle 8 5/8" outside edge, 8 1/16" inside edge
Small shelf, large triangle 1 7/8" top edge, 2 3/8" bottom edge
Large shelf, large triangle 4 3/16" top edge, 4 2/16" bottom edge

-To get your angles, lay the wood it's spot on the drawing and make a mark on each side where it will come to a point. Now draw a line connecting these marks across the short side of the wood. Repeat for each piece. (Tip: If you're having a hard time marking out the angles this way, you can also try this technique: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/25809/accurately-cut-miter-angles-without-using-measuring-tools)


-Adjust your miter saw to fit the angle you need and then cut each piece. (The angles will vary so check it against the line you marked out for each angle before cutting.)


-Lay out all of your pieces to make sure that they fit together and then stain them and let them dry. (If they don't seem to line up correctly, lay out the ones that do fit and re-mark and re-cut the ones that don't.)
-Nail your pieces together.
-If you want the back to be open, you're finished! If you want a plywood back, trace the outside of your shape that is all nailed together onto some plywood.
-Use a scroll saw to cut out the shape.


-Stain the back, let it dry, and nail to the back of your triangles.





About the Contributor

Caitlin McGrath lives in a small town in Western New York. When her face isn't hidden behind her camera, she's usually crafting and daydreaming for The Merrythought, where she is a part of the three lady team sharing DIY projects, recipes, fashion, home décor & and bits of daily life.