How to Build Concrete Floating Shelves! 2026

How to Build Concrete Floating Shelves, they look amazing and are really cheap to make. A year ago, I decided to make a concrete garden bench. This was a great success and my hands were itching to do something more specifically. My girlfriend needed some shelves to display her cameras. A new project was born: concrete shelves!

If you like this project, vote for me in the shelving or concrete and casting contest or even purchase a shelf in my Etsy store.

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Step 1: Materials and tools

Materials:

• Plywood Formwork: To make your mold, you need a waterproof plywood with a smooth surface. Plywood is a material designed for making molds. It has a very smooth surface and is water resistant. It's also expensive. When you plan to make just one shelf, melamine board is a cheap alternative.
• Concrete (leveling cement): For this project I did not use regular concrete but I did use leveling cement. Leveling cement provides a really smooth surface and has a fine grain that makes sanding much easier.
• 3D printed part (see step 5)
• Hidden shelf supports
• Magnets 10mmx10mm
• Tube with an internal diameter of 12 mm (I used a 15 mm heating tube)
• Release agent: Silicone spray, Vaseline, WD40, etc.
• 4 Nuts and screws M6
• 4 M6 Screws
• 4 M6 Screws
• Polymorphic plastic (optional)
• Concrete coloring (optional)

Tools

• Electric drill
• Hammer
• Iron saw
• Mortar or bucket mixer
• Carpentry tools and level
• Old sander (optional)

Step 2: Design

The shelf has a minimalist rectangular shape. The size of the shelf is 22.5 cm x 15 cm x 5 cm.

The weight of the shelf is 3 kg. Therefore, I chose to use two sturdy stands. Inside the shelf are two sliding tubes that will fit perfectly into the brackets on the stand. There are two magnets built into the concrete. Those magnets will stick to the brackets and keep the shelf close to the wall.

Many people are afraid of weight but they are not! The stands can hold approx. 10kg each, so 3kg rack is no problem.

Step 3: Make the mold

The mold is made up of 6 pieces of plywood, 5 to create the mold and 1 to hold the supports in place. Because I am holding the mold, it is very important to cut each piece to exactly the right size.

Holes in the sixth piece of plywood are drilled in the way the brackets will be arranged on the shelf. There will be a spacing of 11cm between the support straps. The holes are drilled 7mm to be used for the m6 screws.

If you want to reuse the formwork plywood, it is recommended to seal the front faces. I forgot, but in the future I will definitely seal them.

This is the size I used but of course you can choose your own size.

Step 4: Slide the tubes

The clamps have a diameter of 12 mm. The slide tubes should fit snugly into the pins to ensure the shelf hangs at a 90-degree angle to the wall.

Cut the tubes to 12 cm each. After this, you need to make sure that concrete cannot get into the bottom of the pipe. I chose to hammer the flat end. This way, concrete cannot enter the tube and the flat side of the tube anchors the tube in the concrete.

Step 5: 3D printed mold

There should be a void on the back of the shelf to accommodate the bracket and bolt. To create the void, I designed a 3D printed part.

The angles on the piece are designed for easy demolding. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a 3D printer. I used 3dhubs.com to print the two pieces. The cost of the two pieces was 20 dollars.

When the part came out of the printer, it was a little rough. Also make sure the piece comes out of the mold easily and sand it with fine grit sandpaper. In the image you can see the difference between a sanded piece and an unsanded one.

The piece is designed to be 3 mm above the concrete surface. The support has a thickness of 5 mm for a total of 8 mm. I used M10 bolts to create this 8mm gap (see next step), but you can use whatever you want with a thickness of 8mm.

Polymorphic plastic

Before using the 3D printed part, I used polymorphic plastic to make the vacuum. I covered the support with polymorphic plastic and poured the mortar. When the concrete dried, I prepared the polymorphic plastic and the support came out easily. This method will work, but it will take a while and will not give a good back to the shelf.

Download 3D File

Step 6: Pouring the mortar (concrete)

Apply the release agent:

For the formwork plywood I used silicone as a mold release. Just spray it on the surface and spread it evenly. 3D printed parts are treated with Vaseline.

Clamp the mold parts:

Holding the mold pieces together is pretty easy, but make sure everything is nice and straight.

Set up supports:

Start by installing the brackets and the 3D printed part onto the plywood with the M6 screws. As the holes are drilled at 7mm, there is a bit of room to align the two brackets. By placing the piece on a flat surface, you can feel if it wobbles. When there is no wobble, you are sure that the two supports are at the same height (see image).

Place the slide tubes and magnets:

To secure the sliding tubes I use a piece of clamp that fits between the tube and the bracket. In this way, the sliding tubes are secured. The magnets are easy to open on 2 of the bolts.

Mix the concrete following the manufacturer's instructions:

When mixing concrete, it is easier to calculate the amount of water first and then add the concrete to the water instead of adding water to the concrete. This way, it is much easier to mix the two parts. You can choose to add coloring; Never add more than 5% powder colorant or it may affect the strength of your concrete.

Pour the concrete into the mold:

First pour the concrete into the mold without the supports. If you are using regular concrete, you want to tap or vibrate the mold to release air bubbles. You can use an old sander to vibrate the mold. I found this was not necessary when using leveling cement.

Align the supports:

Make sure the brackets are placed parallel to the surface of the shelf. You can do this by lining up the plywood piece with the mold (see image).

Step 7: Demoulding

When you do everything right, demolding is a really easy step. The supports and moldings should appear immediately.

I always delay after a short period of time, for leveling cement I only wait for four hours. The leveling cement is hard enough to fall apart, but still a little soft.

The back of the shelf will not be completely flat. Use a flat surface and some sandpaper to flatten the back.

After demolding, you can clean the molding parts and use them again.

Step 8: Final product

I chose to paint the shelves with a clear polyurethane floor covering. This will give the shelf a smooth finish but will also protect against stains.

To fix the brackets, I used guide screws. When hanging the shelf you must first assemble the two brackets, but only fix one of them. Next, place the shelf in place and tighten the remaining carriage screw with a wrench while the shelf is in place. This way, the supports will align perfectly.

My girlfriend loves her new shelves and this works for me too because "a happy wife makes a happy life" 🙂

Enjoy your concrete shelf!

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