Use Scrap Wood To DIY A Beautiful Stove Shelf For Extra Kitchen Storage

An above-the-stove shelf is a great way to grab a valuable few inches of kitchen real estate to store things like oil, spices, and shakers right where you need them. While there are a number of pre-fab shelves made of various materials that rest in the spot above the stove, more luxe wooden models can be expensive, like this one from West Elm. Online DIY-ers recently showed off how to create a similar wood shelf or riser for above the stove made out of smaller leftover pieces of wood from other projects and/or inexpensive pre-cut wooden pieces. Screw or nail them together for a perfect shelf to hold stove essentials. Even better, it's a project that can be done for under $30. 

Since you can choose the size and dimensions of the wood to fit your stove perfectly, the shelf has a custom and bespoke look. Keep in mind you will want to make the shelf high enough that is not too close to the stove and narrow enough to avoid any overhang with the burners. You will also want to coat any wood surface with a polyacrylic, which will protect the wood from moisture (like nearby boiling water and steam) and make ordinary cooking grease, grime, and splatters easy to clean.

YouTube's @sharontheholidays creates a simple shelf, using low-cost lumber from Lowes. She begins by measuring the necessary dimensions, then sands the wood pieces cut for her to size in-store. You will need one board the width of the stovetop and two additional, shorter pieces the height you want your shelf. Her initial plans include using two screws to attach the sides to the top, though the design of her counter backsplash has her amending her plans to just allow the shelf to rest on the legs and the rim of the backsplash for now. Before installing the shelf, she stains and adds a poly coat, creating a shelf with a rustic and farmhouse kitchen look. 

Another variation comes courtesy of Hometalk's Tara Boettger, who uses completely free 1x4 inch wood scraps from previous home projects.  Instead of stain, Boettger paints her boards the same color, which makes the shelf blend seamlessly into the kitchen's black backsplash. Instead of screws, she uses a drill bit to create two small holes and finishing nails to adhere the wood together.

These handy wood riser shelves are not only perfect for stashing items above your stove and saving space on your counters but can be used elsewhere in your kitchen to lift things up and provide additional storage. Use it anywhere on the counter as a way to get twice as much space wherever you need it. Or place it over the kitchen sink to hold hand sanitizer, dish soap, and sponges. 

While this shelf only works if you have a counter on either side of the stove, other shelf alternatives exist for free-standing stoves, many of which use magnetic strips to hold a small shelf against the wall and the raised back of the stove. You can also modify the DIY wood shelf for the wall above the stove by screwing the legs of the shelf into the studs of the wall, which will hold the entire structure aloft as a floating shelf.