Floating shelves are streamlined, stylish, and almost seem like a bit of magic. Holding your books and picture frames with some invisible support system you can't quite figure out. So how do floating shelves work? How do you attach floating shelves, and how much weight can a floating shelf hold, really?

What Do You Need to Hang Floating Shelves?

To attach your Floating shelves, you'll need a ladder, wall anchors, and all the typical tools for hanging something on the wall. This includes a screwdriver, drill, level, pencil, tape measure, and stud finder.

Here are the steps to hanging floating shelves:

  1. Find the studs using your stud finder.
  2. Use the level and a pencil to make marks showing where you want the mounting brackets to go.
  3. Attach the bracket using a screwdriver or drill.
  4. Use a tape measure to determine where you want the next shelf to go. (Don't forget to leave room for it to hold books, picture frames, etc.)
  5. Install the next set of brackets above or below the first bracket.
  6. Repeat until all of the brackets are in place.
  7. Add shelf casing over the brackets and secure them to the wall by tightening the screws under the shelf.