No-Tools-Needed Nick-Knack Shelf

Are you running out of room to put your nick-knacks? Are you living in a home that has little furniture? No matter what your situation you can easily build small shelves that allow you to show off small picture frames, nick-knacks, collectibles and more. You won't need any tools to make the shelves, you can make the set as tall or as short as you want, and you have several choices as to the final look of the finished shelves.

It won't take a lot of money to build the set of shelves if you purchase pieces of Styrofoam to start. You can choose the shape of the shelves by selecting the shapes of the Styrofoam pieces. Choose two or more circles, squares or other shapes. The Styrofoam shapes are available in many different sizes and thicknesses. Since the Styrofoam shapes will become the shelves of the project you'll want to choose pieces which are between one to two inches thick. Choose really small shapes and you'll build a small tower or shelf set. Choose large Styrofoam shapes and make a much bigger set. No matter what size you decide on each Styrofoam piece should be the same size and shape.

Painting the Styrofoam shapes is easy. Simply spray paint them - once or more - so that the white Styrofoam no longer shows. Make sure the paint you choose will work well with Styrofoam. Some paints can melt the Styrofoam so this is very important. If you're not sure ask a knowledgeable clerk to help you select the perfect paint. Choose metallic colors to create an elegant look or even glow-in-the-dark colors for kids' rooms. Instead of spray painting you can dab on dimensional paints which will give the shelves a much different look.

If you're using small pieces of Styrofoam to create a slender set of shelves you can use wooden skewers as the spindles. Simply lay one of the Styrofoam shapes on a flat surface and insert four of the skewers, evenly spaced, around the shape. If the shape is a heart, though, you can get by with only three skewers. Push the skewers through the Styrofoam, remove them and squirt in hot glue, then push the stick back in. This will ensure that the skewers are secure.

If you're using larger pieces of Styrofoam it's best to use small-diameter wooden dowels between the shelves. To build the most stable shelves use very long dowel rods rather than several sets of smaller ones. Paint the dowels or use them as-is. Push the dowels into the first shape and glue them in place. The Styrofoam shape can be the bottom of the shelf or you can push the dowels out the opposite side of the shelf and make legs. For this design allow the bottom shelf to be pushed up at least two inches from the table.

If you're using rectangular or square Styrofoam shapes it's easy to decide where the dowels or skewers will go - at the corners. But, if you're making round shelves it's a little tricker to measure where the sticks will be placed. Use a ruler to draw a dot at the "12", "3", "6" and "9" of a clock face, onto the Styrofoam circle.

To make sure all the dowels are equally spaced it's a helpful maneuver to make the holes for the first shelf, align it over the top of the next shelf, and use an object - like a small paintbrush handle or ice pick - to make the next holes. Using the first shelf as a pattern for the others will ensure the dowels are all equally spaced. After all the holes are in each Styrofoam shape you can then position them anywhere you want to on the long dowel. To make all the shelves equally separated draw marks on the dowel, before placing the shelves, so you can decide how many inches to space them apart.

There are many different designs you can create to hold all sorts of lightweight items. Use long dowels, with only a shelf on the bottom and a shelf at the top, to show off statuettes. Or, use long dowels and several shelves to make a display for short collectibles. Use short dowels and a couple shelves to make a spice jar holder for the kitchen; use short dowels and several shelves to make a set that sits on a table.

When you add the top shelf to the set you'll decide if the Styrofoam will be the very top or if you'll make a design that allows the dowels to stick up slightly over the Styrofoam. With this design you can add tops to each of the dowels. Beads, wooden balls or similar tops will give the shelf set a finished look. Large round beads or wooden balls can also be glued onto the bottom of the rods to make fancier legs. You'll marvel at how easy it is to create simplistic shelves to help decorate your house, to show off your collectibles or to hold needed things in a small area. The finished shelves are a cheap way to give a useful and attractive gift, too.