Snow Globe Shelf

My wife is expecting our first daughter in October, and as such has been on a mission to make the house more “girl friendly”. Part of this mission was to pull out her Disney snow globe collection that she had as a girl. I had not seen them before (even though we have been together for 6 years and married 4 years), so I was a little skeptical. However, in true fashion, she won my over by asking me to build a shelf to house them in the kids’ game room.

My first attempt didn’t have the vertical piece along the back because I was planning to use a 3/8” keyhole bit and 50 lb drywall anchors. After doing a little figurin’ (Texan for “wild @$$ guess”), I routed out three locations along the 81” shelf for the drywall anchors to fasten to the shelf. After measuring at least 4 times, I drilled the drywall anchors into the wall, and went to put the shelf up with the help of my brother (Lawyer, need I say more?). So after a lot of cursing, sweating, hem-hawing, and general frustration, I admitted that the drywall anchor attachment method might not have been the best choice, CONSIDERING I COULDN’T GET THE STUPID THINGS TO LINE UP!!!!

My solution (and second attempt) was much easier to install. I added the vertical piece along the back that you see in the photo, and put 3” screws directly into the studs. DONE. The additional piece makes the shelf look a little more “farmhouse country”, but I don’t mind it. As seen in the photos, I do plan to go back, and touch up paint the screw heads that are still visable, but my pregnant wife has major problems with paint fumes in the house while pregnant…

The shelf is poplar & obviously painted. 9-1/4” x 81” x 3/4”. Supports were cut on the bandsaw.

-- Derrek L.