How to Make Wood Half Circle Shelves

Continuing my obsession with DIY wood projects, I’m sharing this wood half circle DIY shelving idea that is a great beginners project for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the wood DIYs. Remember them from the sneak peek of the nursery?

You can keep the finished shelves raw or paint them like I did with mine, for a completely different look. Click through for the tutorial!

Materials

Instructions

1. Start by finding the center of the wood circle and marking it off, all the way across with a pencil and a straightedge.

2. Then, using a mini circular saw or something similar, cut the wood directly on that line. This will leave you with two identical pieces of wood – both half circles. Sand any areas that may need it, either

3. Attach the two halves of the wood as shown in the photo, with wood glue. And use table clamps to kept two pieces securely together until completely dry. Wipe any areas where the glue leaked through the seams before it’s dry with a damp cloth.

*I forgot to take a picture of the table clamps in action for this one, but I promise they really help! I use them every time I do a wood project that involves glue.

4. Once the wood glue has had ample time to dry / cure (follow instructions on label, but generally 24 hours should be plenty), paint the entire shelf with 1-2 coats of paint. I always use a paint and primer in one to save time, so I don’t have to prime first.

5. Once dry, add two picture frame hooks to back and it’s ready to hang. If using the shelf mainly for decoration and not for anything heavy, you could also use heavy-duty command strips instead, like these.

Photography Amelia Lawrence and Brittni Mehlhoff