Upcycle Your Leather Belts with This Shelf Project

This modern-meets-western leather strap shelf can bring a California ranch cool to any home’s design. We’re in love with the classic Ralph Lauren-esque feel it has! Plus, it was super easy to make and only took about 40 minutes to put up. Cute AND easy? Everybody wins. Especially you.

Step 1: Fasten your belts to the loosest setting so the tail of the belt doesn’t drop down too low. Loop the belts around your wooden plank so that the buckle falls at the same place on both sides. Stretch the back of the belt vertically to create a triangle with the belt; the back should be parallel with a wall. Use a pen to mark about a 1/4-inch from the top and bottom of the wall side of the belt strap. This is where your screws are going to be placed.

Step 2: Undo your belts and set them aside. Using a level or a friend’s eyeballs, mark with a pencil on the wall where you want your wooden shelf to hang. Be sure to note where the edges of the plank are so you can place your belts accordingly!

Step 3: Measure about 3 inches in from the edges of where the plank will hang. Then take your first belt, making sure the buckle is on top and the tail of the belt is on the bottom, and drill right through the belt and into the wall right below the shelf line. Do this on both sides.

Step 4: Once you have the bottom holes, screw directly into the belt, securing it to the wall. Keep in mind that you might want to use drywall anchors if both sides can’t be screwed into wall studs. Especially if you want to place any heavy items on your shelf later.

Step 5: Pulling up on the belt and making sure it’s perfectly vertical, use the second pen marking to drill and then screw through the belt and into the wall. Repeat on both sides.

Step 6: Finally, re-fasten your belts and slip the wooden plank inside. Pull down on it a bit to make sure the shelf is even and secure.

And that’s how to make a chic, unique bookshelf in under an hour. BOOM.