Once I was comfortable with the design and had worked out the majority of the details, I made a quick mock-up to get a better feel of how the curves would work together and to better visualize the finished piece.

Second, since I was looking for a formal, dignified look, I chose cherry – a wood I’ve always felt adds a touch of elegance to any piece. First, quartersawn oak is highly figured and I wanted the items displayed to catch the eye rather than the shelf itself. Although quartersawn oak is a trademark of Craftsman-style furniture, I chose cherry instead for two reasons. As I worked, I incorporated three classic craftsman-style details into the wall shelf: shallow, graceful curves, the corbel (the distinctive curved shape at the bottom of the sides), and the honesty of through-mortise-and-tenon joints. Designing a wall shelf like this was fairly straight-forward as I had a rough idea of the dimensions I needed and I knew I wanted three shelves approximately 30″ long. Undaunted, I dusted off my drafting table and put pencil to paper. Not because they didn’t have knickknacks, but because they relied on built-in shelving units and large sideboards or buffets to store and display their cherished collectibles.

Further digging revealed that the Craftsman folks of yesteryear didn’t use them. So I was quite surprised when I started looking around for a Craftsman-style wall shelf, and came up empty. I usually don’t find exactly what I want – but if it’s close, it’s easy to modify a dimension or decorative feature. Instead, I search through my library and back issues of woodworking magazines to see if I can find what I’m looking for. Like most woodworkers, I try not to reinvent the wheel every time I build a project. Learn to make through-mortises using a template and a router as you construct this simple and sturdy shelf.įrom the December 2001 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine This is Holiday Project Post number two – for the “Pint-sized Pickup,” click here. I’ll post (at least) two every week between now and the new year. Editor’s note: With the holidays upon us, I’m looking through vintage issues of the magazines and books we own for fun handmade gifts – things that you can build in not too much shop time, but that will help to create a lifetime of memories for the recipients.

Wall shelf