On the hunt for unique shelving ideas? Take a look at this striking shelf made with an old ironing board. The shelf hangs from the ceiling and takes advantage of the ironing board’s natural features, helping draw the eye to the flowers, books or art displayed on top. Bring even more focus to this unusual shelf by hanging it in a room with vaulted ceilings or next to another large decoration, such as an old window frame.
The key to this shelf is to find a wooden ironing board with collapsible wooden legs meant to stand on a table or countertop. If you don’t already own one, search flea markets, garage sales or antique shops to find a board with a similar style. An alternative is to use an old ironing board with short metal legs, then add a set of wooden legs of your own making. Consider repurposing legs from a small side table for the job to create a singular look.
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Materials
- Wooden tabletop ironing board
- Handsaw
- Sanding block
- Rag
- Electric drill
- Drill bit
- Philips-head screws, 2
- Philips-head bit
- Gray chalk paint
- Paintbrush
- Painter’s tape
- Macrame cotton cord, about 4 millimeters in diameter or similar thickness
- Scissors
- Wooden tabletop ironing board
- Handsaw
- Sanding block
- Rag
- Electric drill
- Drill bit
- Philips-head screws, 2
- Philips-head bit
- Gray chalk paint
- Paintbrush
- Painter’s tape
- Macrame cotton cord, about 4 millimeters in diameter or similar thickness
- Scissors
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Use the handsaw to remove the dowel connecting the crossed pairs of legs on the ironing board. Set aside the unattached pair of legs, and sand the place on the attached pair of legs where you removed the dowel. Stand the legs up.
1. Use the handsaw to remove the dowel connecting the crossed pairs of legs on the ironing board. Set aside the unattached pair of legs, and sand the place on the attached pair of legs where you removed the dowel. Stand the legs up.
2. Saw an inch or so off the ends of the unattached pair of legs to create flat edges. Sand the edges.
3. Hold the unattached pair of legs next to the prop opposite from the attached legs. Drill a guide hole into one leg, then screw the leg to the prop. Repeat for the other leg. Your ironing board should now look more like an upside-down table.
4. Sand the underside of the ironing board. Wipe off the dust with a rag.
5. Place painter’s tape around the bottom of the legs to protect them from paint. Paint the bottom of the board and allow it to dry.
6. Use the Philips-head bit on the electric screwdriver to remove the screws halfway up the attached pair of legs.
7. Put a piece of painter’s tape around the end of the cotton cord, the feed it from the inside of one leg and through the hole left from the screw. Tie a knot and trim. Cut the cord so that it’s long enough to reach the other leg. Using painter’s tape on the end of the cord, feed it through the other hole, tie a knot and trim.
8. Repeat step 7 with the previously unattached pair of legs. There should already be two holes in the legs where the dowel used to be.
9. Cut two pieces of cord that are about 5 feet long. Hold both pieces at the same time, and tie an overhand loop knot in the middle of the cords. You should now have a loop for hanging from a hook as well as four tails of equal length for tying to the shelf.
10. Tie two tails to a dowel on the end of a pair of legs. Repeat for the other pair of legs.
11. Your shelf is ready to hang and enjoy!
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