How to Build Tie Fighter Floating Shelves for Kids Bedroom
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post may contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you). As an Amazon and Home Depot Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Supplies:
- Scrap Plywood, MDF, or wide 3/4″ width board
- 1×2 board
- Scrap 3/4″ width board for shelf (dimensions will vary based on the wing size you make)
- Gray and black paint
- Frog tape
- Wood glue
- Nail gun
- Jigsaw
Making the Tie Fighter Wing
First you want to start with a piece of scrap wood or plywood that is 1/2 inch to three-quarter inch thickness. The dimensions of your hexagon will vary based on the size of your piece of wood. But to give you an example, on this 11 inch height piece of plywood I marked the centerpoint vertically on both sides, then marked approximately 2 inches in from either side and used a straight edge to make my lines.
Once you have your design drawn, you can use a jigsaw to cut it out. I kept one shelf with whole wings and the other two I cut the wings in half to make them look like they were flying out of the wall. The wings I cut in half were also smaller than the large wings and were basically made out of a 1×8 and 1×6 board respectively. Cutting the wings in half also allowed me to make one full shelf out of one piece of wood which was helpful as I did not have a ton of scrap wood on hand.
For the half wings, I put them together as a whole wing and applied the tape across both pieces to get a symmetrical pattern.The pattern will need to be done to both sides of the wings. I promise, this is the most tedious part of this whole project.
Creating the Wall Shelf
While the wings are drying, you can get to work on the shelf part! The width of the shelf will be determined by the size of your wing. I chose a shelf width approximately 3-4” less than the width of the wing to accommodate for the 1×2 you will be adding to the back. For example, on the large wing from an 11″ width board, I chose a 1×8 board for the shelf. Once the 1×2 was added to the back, the shelf width was just under 9″ wide.
Floating Shelf Installation
Ok, now remember that 1×2 board you added when making the shelf? Good, because that is what you are going to use to install the shelf into the studs (or use anchors if wall studs are not available). I prefer to use a self tapping wood screw and screw directly through the 1×2 and into the stud. You’ll need two or three screws to make sure the shelf stays level and secure.
Now you are done and it is time to step back and enjoy your work! We used ours to display lego creations but they could literally be used for anything from books to collections to trinkets. So super cute! I will be adding the lego table tutorial in the coming weeks but, in the meantime, check out my Star Wars Childrens closet , we are kind of obsessed over here in case you can’t tell!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Let's get in the Delorean and head back to my own childhood and you can be THIS Star Wars obsessed kid's mom too. 🙏How kewl is that...!!
-
Great job! What a lucky boy your son is to have a Mom with skills!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?