DIY Cardboard Wall Shelf with Mirror & Drawer

Description

This cardboard wall shelf is multifaceted. It is decorative, has a mirror, a drawer and hooks. Its 24″ long and 15″wide. The drawer is 15″long, 4″ width and 4″ deep. I showed it placed in entryway but it can be placed in the bedroom. You can keep nail polishes, powder compact on top. belt , wallet in the drawer. hang purse, bandana, tie etc on the hooks.

Material List

Cardboard

2. School Glue

3. Glue Gun

4. Mirror ( I used 7.5″ Approx Mirror. This can vary)

5. Acrylic Paint

6. Gesso

7. Varnish

8. Paper Napkins Or Paper to stick on edges.

9. Craft Knife

10. Paint Brushes (Round, Flat)

Wall Shelf Dimensions : 24″H by 15″W

Drawer Dimensions: 15″L By 4″W by4″D

Video tutorial

I recommend watching the video tutorial along with the step-by-step written instructions below. Watching the steps in action helps clarify the process, and I’ve added timestamps to the video so you can easily follow along.

Step By Step Written Instructions

I used two cardboard rectangles that were 24″ by 15″ and transferred a design on the both the cardboard rectangles using carbon paper.

Video timestamp 0:00 to 0:15

2. Next, I carved out the design using a sharp craft knife. For one of the rectangles, I carefully cut out the center circle, while the other piece was left with the center intact.

Video Timestamp 0:17 to 0:51

3. Next, I worked on the cardboard piece with the cut-out center. I glued pieces of paper napkin around the rim of the circle to give it a neater, more finished look.

Video timestamp 0:52 to 1:10

4. Next, I glued the 7.5″ round mirror onto the cardboard piece with the uncut center and set it aside. To keep the mirror clean during the rest of the crafting process, I covered it for protection.

5. Now I applied school glue on the mirrored cardboard as shown and stuck the non-mirrored cardboard on top.

Steps 4-5 timestamp to video 1:12 to 1:43

6. Once both the carved cardboards are stuck together and after the glue dried I covered all the rough edges with brown paper strips as shown. This step takes a lot of effort, but it’s absolutely worth it! Covering the rough edges with paper strips not only gives the piece a clean, finished look but also adds strength and stability to the structure.

Timestamp to video 1:44 to 2:39

7. After the above step the structure didn’t feel sturdy enough, for it to support the drawer I planned to add later. So I used another 15″ by 24″ rectangle and cut it as shown. Then attached it behind the structure. Now it felt thicker and sturdier. I civered the rough edges again with brown paper strips. You can also use newspaper strips.

Video timestamp 2:42 to 2:57

8. Now I was ready to make a drawer for the shelf. To make drawer, I made two boxes one larger than the other.

In the figure below you can see three 15″ by 4″ rectangles and two 4″ by 3.875″ rectangles of cardboard. This is going to be larger box.

I used the ruler to make sure the pieces are perfectly perpendicular to each other.

After sticking two long pieces in 90 degrees angle, I stuck one short rectangle at each end of the long ones. And then stuck the remaining rectangle to complete the box. This is the outer box of the drawer.

9. To make the smaller box, I used two cardboard rectangles measuring 14.5″ × 3.75″, one rectangle measuring 14.25″ × 3.625″, and two rectangles measuring 3.75″ × 3.625″. To create a built-in knob for pulling the drawer in and out, I cut a knob shape directly into the 14.25″ rectangle. After cutting the knob, I glued all the pieces together to form the smaller box. Once the glue had set, I inserted the smaller box into the larger one and checked that the drawer slid in and out smoothly.

Steps 8-9: Video timestamps at 2:58 to 4:15

10. Next, I covered rough edges of the drawer using brown paper strips and glue. This is how the drawer looked.

11. Using school glue I stuck the drawer in place.

Video timestamp at 4:27 to 4:38

12. For the extra support for the drawer I attached brackets under the drawer.

I used two cardboard bracket pieces to make one strong bracket.Brackets are 4″ by 4.5″.

13. I covered the rough edges on brackets using brown paper strips and glue.

Steps 12-13: Timestamps to video 4:40 to 5:20

14. After the glue on the brackets had completely dried, I applied gesso to the entire shelf. Gesso helps seal the surface and prepares it for painting. Once the gesso was dry, I painted the shelf in two colors: white and a mixture of blue and black.

Video timestamps at 5;23 to 5:54

15. after the paint dried, I stuck Dlooar Tree Hooks on it using glue gun. The hooks had adhesive but for extra strength I did use glue gun to stick the hooks.

Video timestamp at 5:55 to 6:03

16. This is how the wall shelf looks. It is very functional and quite sturdy. You can hang umbrella,cap, purse etc on the hooks and store keys, wallet, goggles etc in the drawer or on the top of the drawer.

Video timestamp at 6:04 to 6:22

Tips

1. Choose the Right Cardboard Thickness
Thick cardboard can be tricky to cut for detailed designs. Before starting, stack two pieces of your cardboard to check the combined thickness. This will help you decide if a third layer is needed for extra strength.

2. Measure the Drawer Carefully
If the inner box is too small, it won’t work as a proper drawer.

If it’s too tight, it won’t slide smoothly.
Even with the correct size, you might still need to sand the edges a bit for easy movement.

3. Skip Varnish on Drawer Sides
I didn’t apply varnish on the inner box’s sides to avoid any stickiness when sliding it in and out.

4. Cover the Mirror While Crafting
Be sure to cover the mirror while you work, so glue or paint doesn’t accidentally get on it.

5. No Mirror design
If you don’t want to use a mirror, you can fill the center space with a design or decoration of your choice.

6. Different Mirror Shapes
feel free to use a square or rectangular mirror instead of a round one. and change the frame design to match it.

7. If you can’t Find big cardboard
You can easily make a smaller version of this shelf using the exact same method.

8. I’ve shared some ideas for using this shelf in the entryway, but it’s just as useful in the bedroom. You can hang purses, belts, or bandanas on the hooks, and store nail polishes or small knick-knacks in the drawer.

Backstory

My other wall shelf is liked by viewers/readers. So I was looking to make another wall shelf but with added elements. I came across a wall shelf with a mirror and a drawer. I took inspiration from it and made the above decorative wall shelf. Below is my inspiration.