Simple Shelves Recipe

Mr. Muenster is very anxious to get his "Mousessori Preschool" up and running. So, this morning I decided to get to work on getting a few simple shelves made to hold some of the materials he has ordered for the children. This is such a simple project it barely needs a tutorial, but I decided to make it anyway so you can see some of the tools and materials I use to create many of my mouse sized furniture. So, let's get started. . .

Ingredients:

1. Wooden paint stir sticks - I have found the best place to find these is places like Home Depot or Lowes. There is usually a display of them close to the paint counter. They come in two different sizes. The 1" wide comes in a pack of 10 and the 1.5" wide come in a 3 pack. The 1.5" wide sticks are also a bit thicker so keep that in mind when choosing your paint sticks. They both cost about $1.98 per package the last I knew. Which is a bit ridiculous considering they used to just give these away. But I have found these are a great size for making all kinds of fun projects. I keep a supply of both of these in my stash for projects.

2. Wood glue

3. Sandpaper - I prefer fine grit.

4. A Small hand saw - this is the one I use.

5. Miter box - this is the one I use.

6. Pencil

step #1. - Decide how long you would like your shelf to be and cut 2 identical pieces. Then decide the height that you would like your shelf to be and cut two identical pieces as I have done. For this project I have chosen to use the 1.5" wide paint sticks as they are more sturdy and will make a perfect simple shelf for Mr. Muenster's classroom.

step #2. - Using your wood glue attach the the 2 sides to the bottom making sure they are perfectly straight and create a 45 degree angle. Allow these pieces to dry. Then attach the top to your unit. Once again making sure to keep everything even and straight. Let your shelf dry and then lightly sand to smooth out any rough bits. You can either leave it natural or if you choose you can paint it. That's it! Crazy easy!

This is a SUPER BASIC unit, but it's the base for so many other pieces. You can add little wooden beads for legs. You can add a front/back. You are really only limited by your imagination. So, go wild and make whatever you like. I will be sharing more examples in the future so you can see how incredibly versatile this technique is.

Here you can see the two shelf units in the classroom along with a few other small pieces I am experimenting with. I have so many ideas. Sadly, not everything is going to fit so I have to decide what stays and what goes. But for now it looks better than nothing.