How to make a functional shelf for necessary things from leftover laminate flooring

Laminate: material features

Laminate flooring, or laminate, is a special building material that is made from high-density fiberboard by covering it with facing films. The film top serves as a protective and decorative layer, giving the material wear resistance and resistance to mechanical damage. Laminate is resistant to temperature changes, antistatic, protects the floor from water, and in appearance it strongly resembles a more expensive floor covering - parquet.

Structure of laminated parquet

Laminate flooring is low priced and attractive. This increases its popularity among apartment and house owners. Laminate is suitable for decorating any room, as it can have a wide variety of designs and textures. On sale you can find imitation stone, tile, and leather materials.

Advantages and disadvantages

Laminate has a huge number of advantages. This is a durable and reliable multilayer material that successfully replaces more expensive coatings.

Really high-quality material protects the floor well from moisture, and there are no marks left on it when objects fall. It is also resistant to chemicals and antistatic.

Its appearance, despite its moderate price, can be rich and attractive.

From the outside, laminate is mistaken for parquet, stone, and leather. It all depends on the design.

Of course, we cannot say that we do not kill this finishing material. Situations arise when it breaks during installation. This is one of the reasons that it is purchased with a reserve, and the remaining material is then left to gather dust in the pantry or on the balcony, taking up useful space.

Kitchen ideas

To prevent the remains of the laminate from gathering dust in the pantry, on the balcony or in the garage, they can be used wisely and profitably. Depending on the amount of remaining material, you can make small or large things: from boxes to pieces of furniture. A laminate apron looks great in the kitchen. This product lasts a long time, and caring for it is very easy.

Creating a kitchen apron from leftover laminate flooring will help save money, protect walls from dirt, and completely transform the room. To arrange it, you need to stick the lamellas on the walls one by one and snap their fastenings into place. In the corners at the joints it is necessary to trim the end locks of the laminate, and then cut holes for sockets.

In addition to the apron, the following kitchen items are assembled from pieces of this material:

1. False beam or decorative box. Allows you to hide wires, hide ugly pipes, exhaust system.
2. Cutting board. Even one lamella makes as many as 4 boards for cutting food. If you decorate them in different ways, you can make a whole set for working with meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, and bread. True, such boards will have to be washed carefully so that the laminate does not swell from water.
3. Hot stand. Thanks to the laminated coating, the product will last for several years. You can place even the hottest dishes on it, because its thermal conductivity is quite low. Making a stand is very simple: just cut out a square or rectangular piece of material with a jigsaw. If you have a special jigsaw file, you can even make a small round stand for a cup of tea and coffee.
4. Shelves for kitchen utensils. Before making the shelves, you need to make all the necessary measurements so that the furniture fits exactly in the right place. By the way, on the shelves of the bookcase you can place vases for small items and sweets, which are also made from laminate scraps.

Laminate cutting board

Interior decor

You can transform anything with laminate flooring. To decorate an old fireplace, the appearance of which you are no longer happy with or is out of sync with the overall design solution after renovation, you can use a laminate that imitates natural stone.

If the house has cast iron pipes and heating radiators, you can build a protective shield for them from the remaining material. Laminated boards are fastened with a lock joint. The ends of the shield are decorated with plastic strips or self-adhesive tape. The shield is attached with screws to the window sill. Such a screen will go perfectly with the corresponding flooring in the room.

Using laminate, you can turn an old bed into a new one. And it will look very presentable. The bed can be made not only richer in appearance, but also more functional.

To do this, you will need to provide it with additional drawers for storing linen and things that are impossible to do without in the bedroom.

Laminate can be used to create a kitchen apron. In this capacity, such material will not only be able to protect the walls from dirt that is inevitable when cooking, but will also transform the appearance of the room as a whole, adding coziness to it. To lay cables and other wires unnoticed, you can build a false beam from laminate. Thanks to such a decorative box, it will be possible to hide the pipeline in the kitchen.

The stairs are also finished with laminate. It is necessary that the selected pieces completely cover each step, otherwise they will crack over time.

When properly designed, a staircase decorated with such material looks expensive and elegant. A small piece of laminate can be used as a floor mat. This is especially true in the hallway.

Drawers and shelves

Laminate is used to produce various items for storing things, shoes, toys, books, magazines, bags. For example, at the dacha, such boxes will help you maintain order by neatly arranging all the things lying around or placing them in winter storage. In the same boxes it is convenient to store vegetables, fruits, fertilizers and other country “attributes”.

In the bathroom, powders, household chemicals, and various household supplies are left in a decorated laminate box. Floor drawers will replace chests of drawers and bedside tables, and small boxes will help to successfully organize storage in a small space.

Shelf made of laminated parquet

You can use leftover laminate flooring to create shelves for any room. They are sawed to obtain strips of the required size, the locks are cut off, connected to each other and mounted on the wall using brackets. Such products cannot withstand heavy loads, so you should not put too large loads on them. Usually framed photographs, stationery, and toys are placed on laminated shelves. Also, shelves for shoes are created from laminate, while the outer frame is made of strong wood.

Everything for your kitchen

There are many options for using the product.

For kitchen

Due to the strength of the laminate and its environmental friendliness, you can make various kitchen utensils:

1. Stands for protecting table tops. The polished surface does not withstand high temperatures and very often marks from mugs remain on it, which spoil the entire appearance. From laminate you can make special stands of various shapes that will protect surfaces from the appearance of marks.
2. Cutting boards. A protective plastic layer can protect the product from scratches for a long time.
3. Kitchen apron. If there are a lot of leftovers, you can use them to decorate the kitchen apron, which will be very easy to care for.

There are never enough structures for storing things. Therefore, from laminate, you can make beautiful boxes of different volumes and shapes. They can be placed in any room. They are also suitable for storing items and things for various purposes:

• Kids toys;
• synthetic detergents and other household chemicals;
• shoes;
• cleaning products;
• boxes for seedlings.

The drawers can be placed in any convenient place, built into the wall or replaced with a bulky chest of drawers. For summer residents, such drawers can be a real godsend for placing and storing things in a country house.

You can also make shelves of any shape and size from leftovers. By using your imagination, you can make very stylish bookshelves or flower stands.

READ MORE: Floor tiles for the hallway: design ideas, tips on selection and installation

If there are a lot of scraps left or they are large enough, you can make furniture. The material will provide such items with a beautiful appearance. For example, make a spacious and comfortable shoe rack or hanger. To do this, you will need to fix the slats on the wall, and screw hooks for outerwear to them.

It is also quite possible to make a miniature coffee table. However, it is worth remembering that he will additionally need legs.

If there are pets in the house, laminate will be an excellent material for making a house or stand for them.

The material is suitable for making a bed. Moreover, this will be a piece of furniture made according to your own design. Additionally, it can be equipped with drawers for storing bed linen.

The remains of the laminate will be useful for making a screen for the battery and decorating the window.

To decorate a window, you first need to remove the old trim. Remove the old slopes, level the surface, and, if necessary, foam all existing deep defects. After this, you can begin finishing work. The resulting opening will look very original and at the same time be combined with the floor covering.

The batteries in many apartments are not particularly beautiful and design. Therefore, they should be disguised. When making a screen, do not forget that air must circulate. Therefore it is necessary to leave holes. It will also help protect children from contact with a hot radiator, and will give the room a finished look.

When making decor, you can fully demonstrate all your design abilities, because the flight of imagination does not limit anything. Laminate crafts will become unusual decorations for your home or apartment. For example, if there is a baby in the house, then a dollhouse will make him very happy.

Laminate is also suitable for making an original box. If you decorate it with beautiful patterns or line it with velvet, you will get a wonderful gift.

Leftover laminate flooring is often used to decorate walls or doorways. They lay out various patterns or make an unusual panel.

These are not all the options for using leftover laminate flooring. By showing your imagination and spending very little time, you can make an unusual thing or beautifully decorate a room.

Take a look at your kitchen. What do you need to work comfortably? Due to the strength and special characteristics of laminate, you can make various kitchen items from its remains:

• stand for hot dishes;
• shelf for storing spices and other small items;
• cutting board;
• cup stand;
• vase for sweets.

To protect the polished surfaces of kitchen furniture from hot pots, kettles and cups, you can make stands of various shapes. It is especially necessary to take into account in your work the fact that there is no need to glue, mount and assemble a certain structure. Simply cut the laminate sheet to the shape you choose.

Laminate table

When you have a large amount of laminate leftovers, you can use them to decorate the wall between the kitchen table and the shelves above (kitchen apron). This will be a good alternative to conventional tile or mosaic finishing, especially since you will save money on it.

If you want to make a shelf, you should consider that the structure may not withstand heavy loads, so placing heavy objects there is not recommended. Below are instructions on how to make such a shelf.

For work you will need:

• pencil and ruler;
• universal glue;
• brush for applying glue;
• jigsaw

READ MORE: Is it possible to paint linoleum with paint?

To make a shelf, you need to cut the laminate into the following elements:

• back wall 32 cm high, 40 cm wide – 1 pc.;
• side walls 32 cm high, 10 cm wide – 2 pcs.;
• horizontal walls for shelves 40 cm high, 15 cm wide – 2 pcs.;
• slats measuring 40 cm – 2 pcs.

Let's consider the stages of work on assembling the shelf:

1. Make markings and cut out all the parts. To make the back main wall, connect several sheets of laminate, first lubricating the joint with glue for secure fastening.
2. The structure will be strengthened with wooden slats. They need to be glued to the back wall. First, mark the location of the adhesive to secure them parallel. Measure 15 cm from the top of the wall and draw a horizontal line. Measure 15 cm from it again and again draw a line. In these places you need to glue the slats. A space of the remaining 2 cm is formed below.
3. Apply glue to the slats and glue them in place.
4. Take the horizontal walls and glue them to the rail on top. Grease the ends of the horizontal walls that will connect with the side walls with glue.
5. Immediately attach the side walls to ensure they are securely in place.

This shelf can be hung using a bracket or simply placed on the kitchen table.

Furniture

Laminate can be used to make new furniture or update old furniture. This will require several packages of material. The simplest option would be to build a small coffee table on which you can put a lamp and books. Afterwards, you need to strengthen the legs of the product so that it can withstand the weight of lying objects. Also, with the help of laminate, old tables are updated, which are suitable for various purposes at home or in the country.

Table with laminate top

If desired, you can even make a wardrobe from a laminated board, if the amount of material is sufficient. Additionally, you should purchase all the necessary fittings, components, and fasteners. You can find a drawing of the cabinet on the Internet, and then transfer it to the material and assemble the entire structure. Also, if there is a large volume of laminate, shelving for a garage or workshop is built.

Small pieces of laminate are used to make a new coating for old cabinet furniture and doors. They think over the pattern, select the necessary pieces and stick them on liquid nails. Laminate with imitation stone will help to beautifully decorate the fireplace, giving it a noble look. Laminate cuttings are no less suitable for the following tasks:

• making a lid for an aquarium;
• door arch pasting;
• renovation of the stairs in the living room.

Laminate aquarium cover

Craftsmen even make beds from laminate with space for storing linen and drawers. A new bed will require solid laminated boards, and old furniture can be restored in pieces by covering its surfaces.

Bonus: furniture restoration

We repair furniture with laminate.

Old furniture, especially in the country, can be quite easily updated using laminate. It is enough to fix the new panels on top of the worn surface of the furniture. The most important thing is that after such “modernization” the furniture will retain its strength and durability.

There will always be something in your home that needs to be placed in a box or storage unit. Then you will know where everything is, how to find it, and, thanks to the box, things will not be scattered. But such storage items may be in short supply. The solution to this problem is to assemble a box or storage box from laminate with your own hands. They can come in different sizes depending on your needs. All you have to do is cut out the leftovers and glue them together.

Here's what you should know when performing such work:

1. To cut the laminate, use a jigsaw so that the cut areas are smooth without burrs or chips.
2. When working with a jigsaw, hold the part that hangs from the surface with your hand so that it does not break off or fall. Otherwise, there will definitely be chips at the tear-off site.
3. Thanks to the decorative layer, the material has a beautiful aesthetic appearance. But if you want to paint it, use acrylic paint. It is practically odorless and fits well on the surface, hiding all flaws in the material. Apply a coat of paint especially carefully to the edge.
4. It is better to fasten the finished parts together using universal glue, since nails and screws in the laminate do not hold well and can split it.

READ MORE: How to level a wooden floor: step-by-step instructions

You can put anything in such a box:

• Kids toys;
• clothes or underwear;
• books;
• documentation;
• tools and building materials;
• wires and much more.

If you are a gardener, or simply grow crops in your garden, you can make a convenient box for seedlings from laminate. Unlike the store-bought version, you can choose the size that suits you. After assembly, it can be placed on a windowsill or mounted on a special rack.

If you make a large box, you can store fruits, vegetables and cereals in it. The operating principle is the same, but with one condition: the box must be equipped with a lid. It can be secured with ordinary hinges, which are sold at any hardware store. You can purchase door hardware as a handle or make it yourself.

Small laminate box

Even small leftovers can be used. Then the material will be used completely, without residues. For example, you can make pots from small planks that are suitable for indoor plants. This design is not suitable as a pot with soil, but it is quite suitable for decorative purposes, so its size should be slightly larger than the size of the pot with the plant itself. Then the pot will easily fit into your product. If necessary, it can also be easily removed.

Window decoration

Window slopes and window sills are finished with laminate. The result is a beautiful combination of window and floor, and the room takes on a harmonious appearance. It is always recommended to lay a whole board on the windowsill, rather than individual cuttings. Before starting work, they dismantle the old slopes, clean the surface, foam the space, and then begin finishing the window.

Finishing window slope with laminate

Crafts

For handmade lovers, laminate can become a popular material. From different types of laminate they create unique accessories, useful items and interesting things. Handmade crafts will fill your home with coziness and replace expensive store-bought decor.

Laminate makes beautiful and durable doll houses. Girls of any age can enjoy this toy. For the safety of the child, there are no sharp corners or elements that could cause injury. To make the house, only safe adhesives without an unpleasant odor are used. The corners are covered with soft cloth, felt, foam rubber. Using saws and other tools, they cut windows, doors, build fireplaces, tables and chairs, and other doll furniture. Other materials are also used to furnish the premises of the house:

• paints;
• paper;
• foil;
• fabrics;
• colored cardboard.

Homemade bird feeder
Also, bird feeders, birdhouses, and cat houses are made from laminate, where animals will rest and play. The inside of the cat's housing is covered with material on which the pet will sharpen its claws, and soft bedding is placed on the floor. In addition, the laminate will become the basis for the manufacture of boxes, pencil holders, boxes for stationery, buttons, threads, and jewelry. Beautiful velvet or other soft material, or artificial suede is placed inside such boxes, and a variety of decor is glued to the outside: beads, buttons, coins.

Designer crafts

But this is not all the ideas that can be realized with the help of leftover floor coverings. You can prove yourself as a real designer and make unique things that will delight not only the guests of your apartment, but also the children. For girls you can make a real dollhouse. The finished product will definitely delight your child, as you will make the dream of most girls come true. It is important that this product is safe for the child, so it should not contain parts that can injure:

• Sharp corners;
• Hard elements that can cause injury;
• Toxic materials (for example, it is better to choose PVA glue, it is safe and does not have an unpleasant odor).

It is necessary to decorate the dollhouse both inside and outside with soft elements:

If you want to please your significant other or mother or grandmother, then try making a beautiful box from leftover laminate flooring to store jewelry, costume jewelry, or even the family budget. The box can be made in the form of a regular box with a lid. If possible, line the inside with soft fabric, such as velvet or faux suede. Decorate the top with buttons or glue a few coins.

Such a thing will definitely make a lasting impression.

Many people use laminate boards as a stylish decoration for walls and ceilings. Thanks to this method, you can easily divide any room into zones, dividing it into several small spaces. This technique is often used in the bedroom and kitchen, for example, to separate the work area from the eating area or the work space from the rest area. When using flooring on the wall, you get perfectly flat and smooth surfaces. In such cases, laminate flooring with imitation of natural wood is often used, which adds elegance to the room and makes the room feel homely.

If you want to surprise your guests and friends, make a wall panel out of these boards. Let your imagination fly and you will get a real work of art. It could be a mosaic of pieces of different textures or some kind of geometric pattern. If desired, you can apply a design with paint or use photo printing, which is now a very fashionable trend in modern decor. Place your panel in a wooden frame and decorate an empty wall in your apartment. You can also use panels in the form of a triptych and a diptych, placing them sequentially in the room.

Panel

Using your imagination, you can make a stylish designer item. For example, laminate is used to create interesting wall panels. Such paintings look harmonious when the shade and texture match the floor covering or have a contrasting color. For large panels, solid lamellas are used, which are laid in a horizontal or vertical direction. The choice of arrangement of elements depends on the size of the room: in small rooms, panels with horizontal laying look better, in large rooms - with vertical laying. For rooms with low ceilings, you should choose a product that is slightly below the ceiling.

Wall panel made from small pieces of laminate

Laminate panels can be original in appearance. For example, individual elements are arranged diagonally, in a herringbone pattern, in a checkerboard pattern, like parquet. This type of work will require more patience and accuracy, as well as a significant amount of laminate. If desired, a drawing is applied to the finished panel with paints or photo printing is done in a special studio, and then it is placed in a frame.

Photo background

A photo backdrop is a background surface for creating beautiful photographs. This product is ideal for people who are interested in the art of photography. The photophone will also be useful for needlewomen who prefer to take photographs and post the results of their work on social networks, and for culinary bloggers.

Nowadays, aged wood is a very popular material for photo backdrops, so you can easily find a suitable laminate. Also suitable for making a photophone is a material with colors that imitate leather, marble, and other types of stone. Textured laminate looks best. Smooth lamellas look less impressive, but are still used in design.

To make crafts, they look for pieces of laminate of a suitable size of one type or combine several textures together. The dimensions of the photophone depend on the needs of the user. To photograph small works (jewelry), items with a side of 15–20 cm are made. To display medium-sized objects (toys, hats, dishes), it is better to make a larger photo backdrop (50 x 50 cm or 60 x 60 cm). Large items are photographed using photophones up to 1 x 1 m.

Photophone made of laminated parquet

Making a photo backdrop is quite simple. You just need to connect the lamellas together, leave them in their original form or scratch them a little (aging them) and treat them with acrylic paint. To enhance the effect of aging, it is worth rubbing the half-dried paint with a sponge or cloth in certain places. Since the edge of the stand still does not fall into the frame, it is not necessary to process it, and defects in the middle can be hidden by the exposed objects.

Laminate flooring

The flooring is made from solid laminate, as well as from its trimmings. This flooring option is only suitable for rooms with normal humidity, and in damp rooms it will quickly fail. The operating procedure will be as follows:

1. Level the floor in the room.
2. They lay waterproofing, carefully combining the joints.
3. They make a test layout of laminate pieces, choosing an interesting combination.
4. If necessary, combine the laminate with the remains of other floor coverings, or combine different types of slats.
5. The material is glued.

Laminate flooring

Laminate floor shelf

It happens that after repairs there are remnants of various materials. There is no need to throw them away - you can make a nice shelf for shoes or decor from laminate scraps. This design will fit perfectly into a hallway or country house.

The photo shows a floor shelf made from leftover laminate flooring.

Materials and tools

To create a shelf with your own hands you will need:

• Remains of laminate.
• Pencil and ruler.
• Electric jigsaw.
• Universal glue.

Step-by-step instruction

Let's get started:

1. We cut parts using a jigsaw.
2. We glue them together in accordance with the drawing. Drilling laminate is not recommended, since the material is porous inside, so when drilling it will crumble, and the product will be very easy to damage.
3. Since the thickness of the laminate is no more than 12 mm, it is necessary to strengthen the structure with a vertical lamella, as shown in the photo:

4. It is not recommended to heavily load the shelf.

Key holder and hanger

Leftover laminate flooring is used to make interesting household items. For example, in the hallway, a key holder that is cut from just one piece of material looks great. The key holder is attached to the wall using double-sided tape or fastenings in hooks. To prevent the ends of the key holder from becoming unusable, they are coated with transparent silicone sealant.

For a hall or corridor, a laminate hanger is suitable, especially if an ordinary wardrobe does not fit here. To make it, cut out a piece of the required size, sand the edges with fine-grain sandpaper, and secure the top through the holes of the hooks. The lower part is glued to liquid nails, but this type of hanger is only suitable for light clothes. To place any, even heavy things on the hanger, you should attach it with self-tapping screws directly to the wall.

Photo gallery

Creating a shelf with your own hands is a wonderful way to add soulfulness and warmth to the interior, as well as save the family budget.

Preparing tools for the rackIs your house in clutter? Most likely, you simply don’t have enough shelves to store many useful things. Canning jars and ready-made preparations for the winter, electric and manual tools, household chemicals... the more thrifty the owners are, the longer this list is. A simple conclusion suggests itself: to make more efficient use of your living space, you need a shelving unit.

To make more efficient use of your living space, you need a shelving unit.

The stores offer a fairly wide range of shelving, but in order to get a piece of furniture that will fully meet your needs, it is better to make the shelving yourself. Why?

• This is the only way you can organically fit a new piece of furniture into the interior.
• A self-made wooden shelving unit will be able to withstand the load required for your items.
• By calculating the height of the shelves and the entire structure, you can allocate space for both large items and small items.

The stores offer a fairly wide range of shelving, but in order to get a piece of furniture that will fully meet your needs, it is better to make the shelving yourself.

How to make a rack with your own hands? It's not at all as difficult as it seems. To make it you will need affordable materials and simple tools.

A self-made wooden shelving unit will be able to withstand the load required for your items.

STAGE 1. DECIDE ON THE DESIGN

The choice of shelving design and the requirements for its appearance depend primarily on the room in which it will be located. Most often, racks are made:

• in the hallway or corridor,
• in the pantry,
• on the balcony or loggia,
• under the stairs (this is relevant if we are talking about a country house or a two-story apartment),
• in the basement,
• in the garage.

By calculating the height of the shelves and the entire structure, you can allocate space for both large items and small items.

Recently, shelving has been increasingly installed in residential premises, mainly in offices and children's rooms: these structures allow efficient use of space, and with a skillful approach they also decorate the interior.

To make it you will need affordable materials and simple tools.

There are several types of racks: frame, beam, modular, cantilever, rope; cantilever and bridge racks.

In frame shelving, the supporting structure is a wooden or metal frame on which several shelves are mounted. For a DIY rack, this is the most acceptable option.

Beam racks are similar in design, but differ in a more durable frame, they are more difficult to manufacture and require more expensive materials.

Modular shelving consists of three main elements: bars, boxes and ladders. Their various combinations allow you to create products of the most unusual shapes, which can be attached to the wall or stand alone.

The choice of shelving design and the requirements for its appearance depend primarily on the room in which it will be located.

A cantilever rack involves attaching shelves to a solid back wall in the absence of sidewalls. Such racks are convenient to use in the hallway.

The supporting structures of the bridge racks are A-shaped, inside which there are fastenings for shelves, for which boards are often used.

The design of a rope rack resembles a similar ladder: it uses ropes to secure shelves, and there are no side walls. Such a rack can become a spectacular interior detail in a marine style (for example, in a children's room). A rope rack is not suitable for storing items with a large weight, but souvenirs and favorite toys will look great on it.

Since it is easiest to make a frame rack at home, let us dwell on the features of its design.

Shelving with a cantilever structure, due to its complex, broken shape, is rarely created by craftsmen. They cannot bear heavy loads and perform mostly decorative functions.

At the design stage, you need to take into account the height of the room (usually the rack is made up to the ceiling), and also decide what length and width of the shelves will suit you.

The supporting structures of the bridge racks are A-shaped, inside which there are fastenings for shelves, for which boards are often used. Making a bridge rack is not very difficult, but the useful area of ​​such a product is relatively small, and the aesthetic qualities are controversial, so they are more often used for industrial premises than in everyday life.

Mosaic

Often, after repairs, there are pieces of different floor coverings that differ in appearance, color, and texture. They are used to make a mosaic, which is suitable for creating a picture, a functional area or finishing an entire wall. Various interior items are also decorated with mosaics. It is important that all materials have approximately the same thickness and similar technical parameters. Lay out the mosaic in any order on a sheet of plywood, starting from the border. This decor looks very beautiful if its outline is dark and the center is light.

Battery finishing

Laminate waste can be used to make screens for batteries and radiators. Such a device will hide an ugly heating device that spoils the appearance of the room. The screen also has a practical function - it protects against accidental burns. When creating such a device, you need to connect the boards in the standard way, covering the ends with self-adhesive tape. Afterwards, the shield should be drilled to the window sill, leaving holes at the bottom for air circulation.

DIY screen for a heating battery

You can make a lot of useful things using pieces of laminate or leftover solid boards. The main thing is to approach the issue with soul and imagination, and the time spent will turn out to be beneficial for your home and family.