DIY Storage guide: Making your own pegboard shelf

by Johnna Brown 02/02/2024

Wooden pegboard shelving units are a simple and cost-effective DIY storage solution. Extremely versatile and durable, pegboard shelving is perfect for anything from tool storage to jewelry organization and is one of the easier DIY storage ideas. If you’re interested in making a custom pegboard shelving unit, here is a guide to help:

DIY Pegboard tools & materials

The size of your pegboard is completely up to preference and how much storage space you need. If you plan to use your pegboard for office supplies or personal accessories, consider using a smaller base and thinner pegs.

¾ inch plywood for the base
½ inch plywood pieces for shelves
Wooden dowels for pegs
Wood screws
Drill
Drum sander
Hand sander
Measuring tape
Pencil

Step-by-step guide

The first step to this DIY storage project is to carefully sand the entire piece of plywood for the base.
Once the base plywood is smooth, use your measuring tape to measure where the peg holes will go. It’s helpful to make a paper template to mark each peg hole if you prefer not to mark the plywood directly.
Following your marked spacing, drill holes with a ¾ inch bit.
Use the drum sander to smooth the edges of each peg hole. Be careful not to sand too much, or you might accidentally make the hole too large for the peg to fit tightly.
Cut your wooden dowels to the desired length. For this guide, use six-inch pegs.
Create the shelf boards by cutting the ½ inch plywood into six-inch lengths. You can make the shelves whatever width you prefer. A variety of shelf sizes makes for a versatile and aesthetically pleasing pegboard.
Sand all the shelf pieces to avoid splinters and splitting.
Drill the base of the pegboard to the wall using large wood screws.
With the pegboard base secured, it’s time to add the pegs and shelves. Arrange them however best fits your storage purposes.
Pegboards are an excellent example of DIY storage. By making a custom pegboard of your own, you can save space and stay organized.

About the Author

Johnna Brown

Johnna grew up in Amherst NH and still has strong ties to the Amherst & Mont Vernon Communities. Johnna moved to Manchester at 19 when she purchased her 1st home. She has resided in the West Side of Manchester since 2007. Always having a strong interest in real estate, Johnna and her husband, Jeff, started investing in rental properties in 2017 with the purchase of a 2 bedroom condo in Manchester. They now own 10 properties with the goal of growing to 60 total rental properties. In 2020 Johnna and Jeff started adding short term rentals to their portfolio focusing in the NH Lakes Region and Southern Maine Coast. Johnna achieved Airbnb Super Host and VRBO Premier Host status within the first year.

From May to October Johnna divides her time between Manchester, NH and her beach cottage in Wells Maine. Johnna’s extensive experience with both long term and short-term rental properties makes her the ideal real estate agent to help you start or build your real estate investment portfolio. Johnna works with a lot of home owners selling their homes and buying homes simultaneously and also sellers relocating out of the area.

Johnna prides herself in being hard working, dependable and down to earth. In her free time, she enjoys reading, jigsaw puzzles and spending time outdoors with her husband, dogs and friends.