How to: reclaimed barn wood shelves

Barn wood shelves are a fun way to add some character to your walls and create a place for storage. These shelves were fairly easy to make (Mostly thanks to my dad for doing all of the manual labor)

• Gather barn wood. My parents live in an 150 year old farm house with the original barn still on the lot. They have tons of barn wood for me to use. If you do not have access to a barn, check out your local salvage shops. Here in Milwaukee we have the Habitat for Humanity Restore or WasteCap. These are great resources to find old original barn wood. 
• Cut the barn wood to the desired length. These boards are 6"D and were cut to be 22"W.

• Clean and Finish wood. It is a good idea to clean the wood so that you do not bring any dirt or bugs inside your home. I cleaned the boards with soap, water, and a bristle brush. Let dry. After wood is dry, seal the wood with Minwax Polycrilic Clear Spray. This is a super quick drying clear spray that makes it convenient and easy to use while keeping the look of the original barn wood intact. I found this on Amazon.

• Next step is to make the brackets. If you do not have the tools to bend and cut metal, it is much easier to buy L brackets. Here I bought strips of cold-rolled steel and had my dad cut the strips, bent them to the desired size, and drill holes (for mounting).
• Rust brackets. This step is personal preference. I wanted the brackets to have a rustic look. I took muriatic acid and painted it onto the brackets. Be careful with the acid not to get it on yourself or anything else. I set this in a bucket and let sit outside overnight.

• Hang brackets on wall. I measured from the ceiling down and made sure the brackets were level and all lined up. Typically I would use screws to hold these shelves up, however, I live in a rental and did not want to put a ton of holes in my bathroom wall. Instead I used Command strips to hold the brackets. These are a renters miracle! They are easy to use, are reliable and easy to remove. Command strips can hold up to 10lb each so you have to make sure that you do not exceed this weight. Be sure to consider the weight of the brackets and the shelves if you go this route.
  

• Set shelves on brackets. 

• Decorate the shelves with your favorite items!