Tall Closet Shelves

There’s a lot of space above the shelf in most closets. Even though it’s a little hard to reach, it’s a great place to store seldom-used items. Make use of this wasted space by adding a second shelf above the existing one. Buy enough closet shelving material to match the length of the existing shelf plus enough for two end supports and middle supports over each bracket.

Two Story Closet Shelves
Reader's Digest
Learn how to build these two story closet shelves.

Twelve-inch-wide shelving (about $9 for an 8-ft. length) is available in various lengths and finishes at home centers and lumberyards. We cut the supports 16 in. long, but you can place the second shelf at whatever height you like. Screw the end supports to the walls at each end. Use drywall anchors if you can’t hit a stud. Then mark the position of the middle supports onto the top and bottom shelves with a square and drill 5/32-in. clearance holes through the shelves. Drive 1-5/8-in. screws through the shelf into the supports.

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Double the shelf space in your closet by adding a second shelf above the existing one.