Food Storage Shelves

After three years of being in this home we finally got around to building our food storage shelves. We had been using our wheat buckets with a few boards for shelves and it wasn't cutting it anymore. I had just purchased some more wheat (our ward went together and got a semi load) for Brooklyn because we didn't have any for her.  We brought the wheat down to the storage room that saturday morning and we were at the lumber store by 1 p.m. and finishing up the shelves that evening.  

It was hard to find the space to build them because we had to scoot everything from that side of the room to the other side. The shelves were too big to build outside of this room because we wanted them to go floor to ceiling (make the most of the space we had). So we worked in tight quarters to build the first shelf and then stuffed them full so we could have space to build the other wall of shelves. 

To make these shelves we used 2 sheets of plywood(cut exactly in half at the hardware store which made the shelves 2 feet deep) 8 2x4's and 8 2x3's. We used six of the 2x4's for the "legs" and two 2x4's for the end of each shelf for braces. The 2x3's were used to hold the shelf. We used the smaller board size so it wouldn't eat into our shelf space. 

Reed and I built the shelves together but, he did the majority of the work. He is really handy!! 

The shelves are so sturdy and we made them to fit the items we had in our storage. 

This is the second shelf. They fit together in one corner. 

We attatched the shelf to the wall and it is as solid as a rock!! 

Abbie loved sitting in the chair holding Brooklyn! She loved to watch everything going on and Isaac helped so he could pass off his requirement for wolves in cub scouts. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.....plus I got shelves!!!! 

The bottom shelf was made the perfect height so we could slide our heavy buckets underneath. The next shelf holds #10 cans and in back of them is our water.

We could fit sixteen buckets underneath each shelf. 

On one of the shelves we added a front guard so my bottles couldn't come off and break in the event of a earthquake. Also...so they couldn't be pushed(not that kids would do that) accidently from one side. 

This is everything we used to build these shelves....a drill, extension cord, saw (not seen in this picture because it was outsid but, only used to cut the braces for the end of the shelves because we had the sheets of plywood cut at the store and it was free)a box of screws, level, and a pencil. Simple tools to build the shelves. 

Now that everything has it's place, it looks like we are ready for the case lot sales. Yipee!!! 

So organized!!! I love it!! They were pretty simple to build and they will be put to good use!!! It only took us three years to get around to do this! Oh well, better late than never and perfect timing before all the case lot sales and garden harvesting!