How To Turn a Bumper Into a Shelf

Hi Friends! It's a new year and I have a plethora of new projects to complete and share with you. First of all, on the agenda: completing my little guy's room. Although I won't share the whole reveal in this post, I want to go into detail about one of my favorite features for this room. I decided early on that I wanted to create some kind of fun and classic, car-related shelf for storage. So, I was absolutely thrilled to have found this old bumper. Take a look at how I was able to turn a bumper into a shelf!

Tools and Supplies You Will Need:

• metal bumper
• laser level
• blue tape
• permanent marker
• grinder and metal blade
• wood for the shelf and cleat
• jigsaw
• sandpaper
• 1-2x4 pine
• wood gun
• screws
• level

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How to Turn a Bumper into a Shelf

1. Add blue tape to your bumper so you will be able to see the laser line. Since you will want a good visual, trace the line with a permanent marker.
2. Use a grinder and metal blade to cut both edges of the bumper so it will sit closer to the wall.
3. Place a piece of wood (I used reclaimed pine) on top of the bumper. Trace it underneath with a permanent marker to get the pattern. Use a jigsaw to cut out the wood pattern. Because most bumpers have a slight angle, in order to get the wood to sit down flush inside the bumper you will need to then use the jigsaw to cut the edge at a 45 degree angle.
4. Once the wood piece is cut, fit it back into the bumper and make any adjustments necessary. Sand down the edges of the wood so they are smooth.
5. Drill smaller holes through the existing bumper brackets to attach a 2 x 4 underneath. This 2 x 4 will be used to attach the top shelf and cleat. We used a variation of a French cleat.
6. For the bottom cleat, create a shelf with a ledge on top. For the top cleat, create a ledge on the underside of the wood so the 2 will hook together and slide. This will make it easier to center on the wall.
7. Place the cut shelf onto the top of the bumper. Use a nail gun and 3 screws to attach the wood to the installed 2 x 4.
8. Because this is so heavy, you will want to use studs and a level. Place the bumper on the bottom cleat to make sure it is centered and snug.

Try it out and see how you can DIY too!

Brooke