If you’ve been keeping up with our overseas move into our new Florida home, then you might already know that I am completely obsessed right now with all the farmhouse things! My love for Fixer Upper (RIP) has started to take over our house as we renovate and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s all turning out! My latest victim room has been my son’s nursery, or should I say bedroom as he is not a little baby anymore. We decided to keep his adorable aviation nursery theme that we had in Alaska. In keeping with consistency across the house, I also wanted to incorporate the style of the farmhouse pantry door we created in the kitchen. The end result came out better than I even imagined! This DIY baby closet system is perfect for organizing everything that would go into a nursery. Read on for a complete DIY tutorial, before and after pictures, and baby closet organization ideas!
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Here are the step-by-step instructions for creating your custom nursery closet system.
Supplies:
- (5) 6 ft 1 in x 8 in finished wood boards
- (4) 8 ft 1 in x 1 in
- Minwax wood finish in Classic Gray
- 2 in wood screws
- 30 – 50 lb drywall anchors (screw-in type)
- Closet bar
- Closet bar wall attachment fixtures
- Metal saw
- Table saw
- Drill
Tutorial:
First, you’ll want to prep and complete any cleaning or priming to the closet before you get started. This closet desperately needed to be painted, so after removing the outdated wire shelving, I went ahead and filled in old holes and damages and applied two fresh coats of white paint.
Once that is completed, go ahead and measure your closet. Be sure to mark where you would like the bottom board of the organization system to go. From the bottom, measure where you would like the top to sit against the wall.
There is no right or wrong here, it’s really up to personal preference.
Next, select and cut two of the 1×8 boards for your top and bottom pieces. Cut the 1×1’s to support your bottom shelf. This will be two for the width, and one that runs the entire length.
Additionally, cut 1×1 supports for your top shelf. These three pieces should be the same width as your board.
TIP: You don’t want the length support to be the length of the top shelf because you will be using this to brace the standing board as you install it.
Next, use the table saw to cut one 1×8 board to match the height that you measured for your built-in system.
After that, cut more 1×1’s that are the same width as the standing board. There should be two per shelf that will be completed later on.
Once that is completed, it’s time for my favorite part: staining! For this project, we used two coats of my go-to wood stain.
TIP: This stain dries amazingly fast so plan accordingly!
Now it is time to pre-drill the holes for your support pieces. Using the pre-drilled holes, place them against the closet walls and then use a level to drill holes into the drywall to mark where your drywall anchors will go.
TIP: It is a good idea to level each support piece individually and use a yardstick (or whatever is available), to level each support piece together.
After that, install the drywall anchors, support pieces, and the bottom shelf piece.
Next, measure half of the length of your standing board and mark it.
Using the standing board as a reference, measure how wide you want your shelves to be, and mark on the bottom shelf for future reference and to measure to the opposite wall of the standing board shelves.
Cut the center long shelf, support pieces, and stain them all.
Then, using the standing shelf mark that we made on the very bottom shelf, go ahead and pre-drill four holes for screws that will go into the standing shelf.
Now, level and install the top shelf braces.
Once again place the standing board on it’s mark of the bottom shelf. This will allow you to level the standing board at 90 degrees and install your center top brace.
Install the top shelf.
Next, measure, pre-drill, and install 1×1 supports on the center shelf and gently place the standing shelf.
Between the top and bottom shelves, use a level to mark against the closet wall that you will install the supports for your smaller shelves.
Remove the standing shelf and pre-drill and install the supports for these smaller shelves against the closet wall.
Then, on the opposite side of the standing shelf, find your centering mark for your middle shelf, pre-drill four holes, and install the middle shelf and brace directly underneath it.
Gently place the standing shelf with the middle shelf in it’s position and install the opposite wall support for the middle shelf.
Now, permanently install the standing shelf. Use four screws at the bottom and pre-drill and install four screws from the top.
After that, install two screws through the support into the middle shelf.
TIP: Re-check everything with the level at this point to make sure you’re happy as mistakes can still be corrected!
If you decide you’re happy with everything as it is, then measure the distance between the wall and center shelf above and below the middle shelf.
Cut your closet bar down to match if necessary.
Install the closet bars three quarters of the way up the center shelf above and below the standing board.
Then, measure and cut the remaining 1×8’s to make your insertable, small shelves.
Stain these and simply set them on their supports.
Then, you’re finished to decorate and organize your new DIY nursery closet however you’d like!
Here is our finished baby closet!
Looking for baby closet organization ideas? Check out these adorable wire baskets. They hold everything from baby blankets to hats and accessories while keeping with the farmhouse style.
I love how much space there is now for everything, even though the closet itself is pretty small.
We made sure to leave enough space open at the bottom for diaper boxes, his laundry basket, and anything large that may need to be stored below.
What did you think of our DIY baby closet? Anything you would do differently? Share with our readers by commenting below!
Ruthie Ridley (@RuthieRidley) says
Yall did great!! This looks amazing!!!
Christina says
Thank you so much! I have to give most of the credit to my husband, he did the heavy lifting!
Emily Fata says
This si such a clever idea! Amazing way to use up all the space you have. 🙂
Christina says
Thanks, Emily! It’s such a small closet that adding the extra shelves has made a huge difference in terms of space.
Tessa says
So adorable and I love the farmhouse style!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Christina says
Thanks so much! I am obsessed with everything farmhouse, I’m hoping it stays in style for a long time!
samemckenna says
I love this idea! It would work for adult tops too I bet!
Christina says
I totally agree! Eventually we will do the same for our walk-in closet!
thisgratefulmama says
This is so useful! Our old house had organizers like this, but we now live in a new construction home and are in desperate need of smarter storage solutions. This is so needed in our kids rooms!
Christina says
It definitely saves a lot of space, which is so needed when it comes to organizing kids’ rooms!
Kate Andrews says
I would have never thought of doing something like this and it is genius! I might want to do this for my own closet.
Christina says
Yes, you totally should! We will be doing this for our master closet next!
mysocalledchaos says
That is sooo adorable! I wish I had room for a whole nursery,I just share my room with the baby…
Christina says
Thank you! Well, he has the room, but has he slept an entire night in it yet? Nope. Not once!
Autumn says
You make everything look so easy! Your closet looks amazing and I would love to try doing this for mine.
Christina says
Thanks so much, Autumn! It is really my hubby who makes it look easy, he does all of the heavy lifting. I just watch in awe.
Our Mini Family (@ourminifamily) says
This closet organizer for the nursery came out great! A lovely DIY project!
Christina says
Thank you so much! We had a lot of fun making it!