Building closet shelves with MDF is easy and doable with this video that shows you how to make a simple set of MDF closet shelves starting with a full sheet of 3/4-inch MDF and cut multiple shelves from a single sheet.
As a custom builder, I get the opportunity to build closet shelves on a regular basis. When a client asks me to build closet shelves for them, my first question is, “do you want wire shelves or do you want solid shelves?” Sometimes, clients love the wire shelves that can be bought at a box store, and I will buy a kit to install. Wire shelves can be nice, but most clients do not want wire shelves and ask for custom solid shelving instead.
There are more options for solid shelving than just buying a pre-laminated shelf board and putting into a closet. Custom, built-in shelves are more easily accomplished using the different thicknesses of MDF board that is available at most box stores.
What is MDF?
The acronym MDF stands for “medium-density fiberboard” and is made of a combination of fine-particle wood fibers, glue, and pressure to press it all together. MDF differs from particle board, which is made of larger wood chips and is not smooth. MDF can be molded and custom painted with ease, while particle board is rough and does not handle edging tools very well without chipping.
My go-to material, with regards to MDF, is the 3/4-inch, 4-by-8-foot sheet. This is a heavy board that may be hard to handle as a sheet, but is more versatile to build with than any other material I have used. This is because MDF is easily cut, shaped, and sanded, and the material paints extremely well.
Custom MDF Shelves
In the video, I show you how to make a simple set of shelves in a closet. I start with a full sheet of 3/4-inch MDF and cut multiple shelves out of a single sheet. The toughest part of this process is getting the shelves to fit into the closet, because no closet is ever perfectly square.
After watching this video, you should be able to create a custom set of closet shelves without having much more than a few tools. Transform your closets into more storage space and less clutter by building shelves with MDF.
And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so that you can keep up to date with new videos!
Adam D. Bearup is a designer, green builder and farmer, who learned about biodynamic and regenerative farming for a project he built in Northern Michigan, The Earth Shelter Project Michigan. Adam has degrees in marketing and management and a Masters of Science in Green Building.
All MOTHER EARTH NEWS community bloggers have agreed to follow our blogging guidelines, and they are responsible for the accuracy of their posts.
