1. Floating shelves are no longer a mystery — and they’re surprisingly easy to install with the right tools!
You’ll need:
1 (24-inch) floating shelf support bracket for each shelf
1 unfinished (2-by-12-by-24-inch) piece of lumber for each shelf (You can have these cut at your local hardware store.)
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill + Home Project Kit
Wood stain of your choice
Paint brush
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Hearing protection
How-to:
1. First, use a paint brush (or foam paint brush) to apply the wood stain of your choice to the shelf. You’ll need between one and three coats of paint depending on the stain. Let the shelf dry.
2. Measure and mark the placement of the holes on the long side of the plank for the bracket’s prongs to enter. You can do this by measuring the distance between the prongs and using the measurement to mark the wood, but you should also hold the prongs next to the wood to make sure your marks align perfectly.
3. Using a wood-boring bit and the drill from the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill+ Home Project Kit, create holes for the bracket prongs in the marked side of your shelf. Put the wood shelf aside for the next two steps.
4. Attach the floating shelf support bracket to your wall using screws and the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill, following any instructions that came with the bracket. You will need to mark where the bracket holes are on your wall first and then drill pilot holes with a small drill bit. (Make sure you’re drilling into the studs behind your wall for support.)
5. Hold the bracket up to the wall and align the holes in the bracket with the pilot holes you drilled. Using the drill again, screw the bracket to the wall until the bracket is secure.
6. Slide the shelf onto the hung bracket by aligning the holes you bore in the wood with the prongs. Voilà!
2. This simple bench — perfect for an entryway — is easy enough for a DIY newbie but looks like it stepped right off the page of your favorite decorating magazine.
You’ll need:
1 unfinished project board, approximately 12 inches by 3 feet (and at least 1-inch thick)
4 hairpin legs
Screws (¾-inch)
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill + Home Project Kit
20V MAX* Cordless Random Orbital Sander
Wood stain of your choice
Paint brush
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Hearing protection
How-to:
1. Use the 20V MAX* Cordless Random Orbital Sander to smooth out rough spots and edges. To do this, attach the sandpaper to the sander, turn the sander on, and run the sander lightly over the wood very slowly. Avoid pressing too hard.
2. Next, apply the wood stain of your choice to your lumber piece using a paint brush or foam brush, following the instructions on the stain. Let it dry.
3. Once dry, use a pen or pencil to mark where you want to put your legs at each of the four corners.
4. Attach the legs to the plank using the ¾-inch screws and the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* drill.
5. Flip the bench and enjoy!
3. You’re not the only one who appreciates a good DIY. Your furry friend will love their very own raised food bowls.
You’ll need:
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill + Home Project Kit
2 (5½-inch) diameter pet food/water bowls
A wood board, approximately 8 inches by 15 inches (You can have this cut at your local hardware store.)
1-inch square wooden dowel cut down to 4 (6-inch) pieces
Screws
Clamps
Sandpaper
Paint of your choice
Dust mask
Face mask
How-to:
1. Lay out the wood board. Flip the two bowls upside down onto your board and trace around the edges with a pencil. Remove the bowl, then draw a slightly smaller circle inside of the circle you traced. Erase the outer circle.
2. Using the 20V MAX* Drill and a medium-size drill bit, drill a small hole all the way through the wood inside the circle. The hole should be big enough for the tip of a jigsaw to go through.
3. Then use the 20V MAX* Cordless Jigsaw to cut the circle out. To do this, start by inserting the jigsaw blade into the drilled hole. Turn the jigsaw on and slowly cut around the line that you drew until the circle falls out.
4. Next, inspect the 4 (6-inch) dowel pieces and the bowl base you just cut for rough edges. Sand with sandpaper by hand if necessary.
5. Sand the wooden dowels so they’re smooth, then lay them out on the top of the stand.
6. Then, lay out the 6-inch pieces in each of the four corners like legs and use the clamps to hold these in place. Flip the whole thing so you’ll be drilling down through the bowl holder and into the legs.
7. Secure to legs using screws. To do this, use the 20V MAX* Drill to drill small pilot holes. Then use the drill to drive larger screws into those holes.
8. Paint the stand any color you like!
4. This super-chic three-tier plant stand will impress any plant person. And it’s surprisingly simple to make.
You’ll need:
3 (12-inch) wooden pre-cut circles (½-inch thick)
9½-inch-wide L brackets
3 (1-inch-by-36-inch) square dowels
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Drill + Home Project Kit
Screws
Wood stain
Paint brushes
Measuring tape
Safety Glasses
How-to:
1. Apply the wood stain to the square dowels and three wooden circles using a paint brush or foam brush. Let them dry. Then measure the circumference of the circle with measuring tape (for a 12-inch circle, should be about 38 inches) and divide by three, marking these points on the edge of the circle lightly with a pencil. So, knowing the diameter is 12 inches, the circumference will be about ~38 inches, and you’ll mark the circumference every ~12⅔ inches — but feel free to measure and check on your specific circles.
2. Lay out your dowels. Measure and mark 6 inches from the bottom, 14 inches from the bottom, and 2 inches from the top. (Measure twice, or your stand will be uneven!)
3. Lay out the brackets on your dowel (like an upside-down L) so that the bracket holes align with the three marks you made on each dowel. Drill small pilot holes right at the nine marks you made.
4. Insert screws with the drill through the brackets and into the pilot holes to connect the nine brackets to the dowels.
5. Drill pilot holes for the bracket-connection points on the bottom of the shelves by centering a bracket (already attached to a leg) with the lines you marked in Step 2 and then marking where the bracket's hole is.
6. Then use the drill to screw each of the brackets (now attached to the legs) to the bottom of the shelves where you drilled the pilot holes to tie the whole thing together.
7. Turn it over and place your three fave plants on the stand!
Images by Jon Premosch and Art Direction by Jenna Benty / ©BuzzFeed
BLACK+DECKER offers a full line of power tools, such as cordless drills, sanders, cordless screwdrivers, and more, on their official website.
Always wear the appropriate safety gear when working with power tools.
*Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.