Do you want to create something unique, inexpensive and pretty for a large empty wall?
Let me show you how to DIY and style a leather strap hanging shelf. It is one of the easiest and inexpensive projects I have done in a long time.
Finding the Straps
I thought it would be a lot easier to find the leather then it turned out to be. To begin I looked at all the common sense places like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. They had leather but nothing that was long enough so I resorted to Amazon.
There are so many colors options available. I also really like the width of this strap. That comes down to the look you after. If your shelf is small you may want something a little narrower.
Because we have high ceilings I knew I wanted the leather strap to be fairly long so it didn’t look too small and understated.
The Wood Shelf
If you’ve been around for awhile you know I love wood. So finding the wood for the shelf was fun for me. I found a beautiful piece of 8″ common board at Home Depot. You just want to make sure it’s straight and of course pretty.
Depending on the length of the shelf, you can get away with buying a shorter piece of wood.
Cutting to Length Sanding and Staining
I created the shelf to fit the size of the space. So I cut the board to length and got busy sanding. Have I told you before how much I love sanding.
Sanding takes a rough and not so pretty piece of wood into something beautiful.
This project is so quick and easy but looks like a million bucks. After it was sanded I wanted to do my favorite stain combination. The one I am loving right now. I reserve the right to change my mind down the road.
It’s a three step process but goes really quick. Especially if you live in the Arizona desert and it’s hot so things dry quick.
I apply the pre-stain. After it’s dry according to the directions on the can I apply the white wash stain. This makes the final stain a little more muted. You still see the beautiful grain it just gives a softer more muted finish.
After the whitewash was dry I apply the special walnut. Because this was such a small project you will be able to do it all at one time.
You can see another project where I used this beautiful stain Here.
Hanging the Leather Straps
Hanging the leather straps is really easy. We cut the leather to the length that worked for the space. It’s not going to be a heavy shelf but I wanted to make sure it was well secured to the wall. We did this by locating the studs and using them to hang the leather too. If that’s not possible use some hollow wall fasteners. You can pick them up at Home Depot.
We used a screw and silver cover to secure it to the wall and to make it look pretty.
I also needed to punch a hole in the leather so we could get the screw through the leather. We’ve had an old leather punch for years so we pulled it out and punched a hole through the front and back of the leather strap. Making sure to punch the holes so they line up when you secure it to the wall. Because the leather is so thick we weren’t able to punch the front and back at the same time.
Using a leather hole punch is easy it just takes a little muscle.
Hanging the Leather Strap
I’m almost embarrassed to show you how easy it is. Because it is so quick, easy with beautiful results.
All it takes is screwing the strap into the wall. It is one screw for each leather strap. That is all it takes. Be sure you are screwing into a wall stud or using a hollow wall fastener. Now comes the super fun part.
Add the Stained Board and Style
The final step to completing your shelf is insert the shelf in the leather strap loops making sure to center the board. That’s it, you’re done. You’ve created a beautiful shelf that is so easy and so unique and so pretty.
The final step is the funnest part of all. Styling the beautiful new shelf. If you’d like some help styling your shelf I’ve got a guide with money saving tips to style your home. Check it out Here. I would love to send it to you.
Because I’m a boy mom my style is a little more rustic elegance. I had a beautiful frame I wanted to use plus other pieces to create a beautiful layered shelf.
Decor to the Door
If you are needing some help finding beautiful decor I have the easiest answer for you. My shop has quarterly decor collections that are so elegant and pretty. You will love everything available in the cute collection.
Check out what’s available at Decor to the Door. I’ve taken the guess work out of putting it all together for you. Quantities are limited so check it out before it’s gone.
