Overhead Storage Shelf

Finding extra storage space is always a problem, especially for seasonal items that don't get used that often. Here's an easy-to-build overhead shelf perfect for a garage or storage room.

I made my shelf from a standard hollow-core interior door cut in half (you can make two shelves out of one door). If you don't have a spare door, you can buy one for about $20.

You'll need to support the veneer skin of the door along the cut edge (it's a hollow door), so I screwed a filler block along the inside edge of the door, as shown in the drawing. To hang the shelf, simply attach it to a cleat that's lag screwed to the wall (see detail a). 

You'll need to support the front edge of the shelf, too. I used a pair of brackets made out of ½" electrical conduit for this (see detail b). You can crimp the ends in a vise, then screw one end to the shelf and attach the other end to a wall stud.