Introduction

Tired of salivating over gorgeous coffin shelves you can’t afford, and think you could DIY your own coffin shelf?

Welcome! We’ll guide you through the transformation of an ordinary coffin display shelf into a stylish and elegant piece. This step-by-step tutorial will help enable you to design your own uniquely creative coffin shelf (and maybe even teach you some crafting skills along the way 😉)

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Tools & Materials Needed

All of the above tools and materials you’ll need are also compiled in our one-stop coffin shelf DIY Amazon idea list.

Always prioritize safety by wearing appropriate protective gear, and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for each tool and material used.

If you’re just starting to build your power tool collection, we highly recommend the Ryobi brand. Their tools are great quality, and they all conveniently use the same battery and charger. If you mix and match brands, you have to buy multiple batteries – and those things are expensive!

Prefer to watch the process? We’ve also created a Coffin Shelf DIY Tutorial video you can watch here!

Procuring and Preparing the Coffin Shelf

Step 1: Source Your Coffin Shelf

Begin your journey by procuring a coffin shelf. You can often find one through platforms like Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Alternatively, consider building your own by finding a reliable DIY guide.

Sidenote: we’re thinking about creating our own guide or even selling custom-made shelves… 😉 Leave us a comment or Contact Us if you’d like to commission a coffin shelf!

Step 2: Disassembly and Preparation

As our coffin shelf had previously been used as a display shelf for Gnarly Head wines in Albertson’s, it had a slightly three-dimensional logo printed on the front of the shelves. Since some pieces of the shelf were also fire engine red, I ultimately decided to sand down every piece for uniformity. You may not need to do all this work, especially if your shelf already has a smooth finish and a color you like (or if you’re building your own from scratch).

If you decide to go through the process of sanding and repainting, you need to start by disassembling the acquired coffin shelf. Ours only required an Allen wrench, which you probably have in a miscellaneous drawer if you’ve ever bought unassembled furniture.

Once you have all the pieces separated, use a rotary sander to remove any existing paint, leaving a smooth surface for the upcoming modifications. We used our Ryobi sander from Home Depot (also available on Amazon) with a 220-grit sandpaper, but you could use a rougher or smoother grit depending upon the material and finish used for the coffin shelf.

Wipe away the sanding dust using tack cloth to ensure a clean surface for the subsequent steps. Pro tip: wear a pair of disposable gloves – tack cloth is sticky!

Step 3: Reassembly and Modification

Reassemble the coffin shelf, incorporating 1×2 boards under the front of your individual shelves as needed. This modification creates a lip under the shelf, providing a concealed space for the LED strips later in the process.

You’ll need a miter saw to cut the correct angles into the ends of the 1×2 boards so that they’ll fit into the coffin shelf. Measure and mark on the board where you need to cut in the angles. Use proper PPE and ensure you know how to use your saw safely! We used our Ryobi 10” Compound Sliding Miter Saw from Home Depot, but it’s also available on Amazon.

Apply wood glue to the long top side of your 1×2 board and place one under the bottom of any shelves that need a lip for concealing the LED strip. Line the board up with the front of the coffin shelf. Hold it in place easily with a clamp while the glue dries. Use wood filler in the gaps for a smooth face when finished.

Refinishing the Coffin Shelf

Step 4: Adding Architectural Details

Next we’re going to add some subtle architectural interest and a little more Victorian elegance to the coffin shelf by gluing baseboard frames onto the sides. We used these baseboards from Home Depot to create a little depth, but go with whatever your heart desires!

Cut your baseboards with a miter saw to create a four-sided frame. You’ll also need to cut an angle in at the top and middle boards to match the angles of your specific coffin shelf.

To make this task easier, we highly recommend purchasing an angle finder.

Next, glue your frame to the sides of the coffin shelf, lining each piece up so they match the edges of the coffin shelf boards. Use clamps to hold the boards in place while the glue dries. Give it at least 24 hours to fully dry before removing the clamps.

Our supervisor Akasha was carefully overseeing this whole process, haha. However, she clearly wasn’t monitoring closely enough, because we made a mistake you can learn from!

We got some of our measurements on the baseboards wrong and ended up with a gap in between the top and bottom baseboard frames. To fix it, we installed another small strip of baseboard that we shaped with sandpaper to match the expected angle. After a little wood filler and some paint, I think it’s virtually unnoticeable.

This is what it looked like before the wood filler and paint. Trust the coffin shelf DIY process!

As the last part of this step, you can sand down the front of the shelf and fill gaps with wood filler as needed to make the face of the coffin shelf smoother and hide the seams between your boards.

Step 5: Painting the Shelf

Next, use a paintbrush to cover the entire coffin with black chalk paint, ensuring even coverage. We love chalk paint for how smoothly it applies and flattens out. You’ll want to apply at least two coats. Allow it to dry completely before moving onto the next step.

Step 6: Protective Polyurethane Finish

Using foam brushes in various widths for different parts of the shelf, apply a polycrylic finish to protect the painted surface. This helps add durability and a polished look to the coffin shelf.

You can watch my technique for applying the finish in our coffin shelf DIY tutorial video. You’ll want to be careful not to put too much finish on the shelf, or else it will run off and you’ll end up with drips. On the opposite end, you don’t want to apply too little finish, because it may end up streaky and uneven. Refer to the directions on your specific finish for the right number of coats. If I remember correctly, I think I did three.

Pro tip: you can use a butane crème brulee torch to pop any bubbles that appear in your finish. Keep the torch moving and hold it at least a few inches away from your coffin shelf to avoid blistering the finish. Always exercise safety – this torch is not a toy!

Adding Lighting & Decorative Elements

Step 7: Routing Channels for Wiring

Now that all the painting and finishing is done, we can start adding the lighting.

Utilize a router to cut channels in the back of the coffin shelf for the LED strip connecting wires. You don’t need to be precise with your channels as they’ll be covered by the backing board. We’re doing this so that the backing board can lie flat and level against the back of the coffin shelf (or preferably be slightly inset if the side boards of your coffin shelf are wider than the horizontal shelf boards).

You may need to use a drill to punch some holes for the wires, depending on how your coffin shelf was constructed. Additionally, if the wire has any larger sections, you may also need to carve out a bigger spot for them to sit in for the backboard to remain level and flat.

We found that a paintbrush made it really easy to sweep the dust out of the newly carved channels. Make sure to do this in a room you’re okay with getting dusty! You’ll definitely need to sweep and mop after this step. Wear a dust mask to prevent inhalation of the fine particles.

Step 8: Installing LED Strips

To create a subtle yet striking illumination within the coffin, attach stick-on LED strips towards the front of the shelf, facing down.

Our favorites are these ones from Amazon that come in pre-cut lengths and are easily connected by wires (you may need extension cables to connect them between the shelves). They even come with a remote and change colors!

You can secure the cables so they don’t hang down into your shelf with stick-on cable clips like these.

For a closer look at how the lights are installed, check out our Coffin Shelf DIY tutorial video!

Step 9: Creating a Backing Board

Trace the coffin shape onto a piece of hardboard and cut it out using a table saw. If you’re like us and don’t have one yet, you can also use a jigsaw in combination with a straight edge clamped to sawhorses along the angle you need to cut.

You’ll likely also need to cut a small notch at the bottom of the backing board for your LED wire to go through so you can plug it into the wall. You can just use a box knife (with a silicone mat) or something similar to cut a small half-circle hole just big enough to fit over your wire.

NOTE: Always use proper safety PPE and tool handling practices. If you are not confident with your tools, please seek out someone to instruct you in proper usage!

Step 10: Applying Fabric Backing

Use a spray adhesive to secure whatever fabric you choose onto the backing board. We used this gorgeous black and burgundy flocked damask taffeta fabric from Urquid Linen. Smooth the fabric out and make sure to line it up as you go to make sure the pattern is straight and lies right where you want it. Always double check before you stick it to the glue.

Naturally, I messed this up on my first try and ended up redoing it xD But second time’s the charm!

Flip over the backing board so the front is facing towards the floor or table. We cut open a large black trash bag to use as a barrier between the floor and the fabric on the front of the backing board. You probably don’t need this layer if you’re cutting it on a table.

Place a silicone cutting mat underneath the backing board and use a box knife to carefully cut away the extra fabric from the edges of the backing board. Be very careful when using the box knife, and make sure you have that silicone cutting mat so you don’t damage your floor or table! Scott demonstrates how to do this correctly in our coffin shelf DIY tutorial video.

Step 11: Attaching the Backing Board

Once the extra fabric is cut off, you can nail the backing board securely to the back of the coffin shelf using a hammer and small nails. Make sure to nail into the wood of the coffin shelf frame itself so the nails aren’t poking through to the front side of the shelf.

We also painted our backing board with black chalk paint, but this may not be necessary if your coffin shelf is going to be flat against the wall. Ours has a wide base that causes it to stand an inch or two away from the wall, so I ultimately decided it needed to be painted black.

Step 12: Adding the Handles

Screw handles onto the sides of the coffin for a nice decorative element. Personally, I eyeballed the placement, but you can measure and mark if necessary. A helper is handy at this point if you can convince someone 😊 Scott assisted me by holding the handles up and moving them around to my desired placement while I directed from a little further back. Once mounted, I painted the screw heads black.

Step 13: Adding the Decorative Appliques

You’ll then need to choose the specific appliques to put on your shelf, and the design you want to make. There are many great appliques available on Amazon – here are the ones we chose: pre-painted resin bat, corner appliques, top applique, and applique set. Scott and I tested multiple layouts before deciding on our favorite pattern.

It’s helpful to photograph the various design ideas so you can compare them and pick the one you like the most.

Once we decided on our layout, we hand-painted black chalk paint onto the unpainted wooden appliques. You could also use spray paint if desired. Finish the appliques with a spray finish to protect the paint. We prefer a satin sheen – it reflects a little more light than matte, but not as much as gloss.

When the appliques have dried, attach them to the shelf with wood glue. Lie the shelf down on its back with the front face-up. Put a thin strip of wood glue on the back side of your appliques and place them on the shelf. Use clamps or weights to hold them in place while the glue dries. If any glue oozes out, it’s easy to wipe up – or it will dry clear, dependent on the glue you use.

For a little added security, we placed small nails under both sides of the widest applique to help support the weight of the three combined appliques at the top.

Decorating and Summary

Step 14: Final Touches and Decoration

You did it!! 😊

And if you’re anything like me, it only took you three years, haha.

Realistically, you will probably finish this much, much quicker than we did. It only took us so long because we moved in the middle of the project and it took a while for us to get back to it.

Anyways, with your construction complete, take time to arrange and display your favorite items on the finished coffin shelf. Get creative – display statues, goblets, knives, plants, art, or really anything that deserves a little extra attention.

You can see more final results of our coffin shelf DIY on our Instagram page @thejohnsonlair.

(Ooh…ahhh…)

Follow the detailed steps within this coffin shelf DIY tutorial, and you’ll have transformed an ordinary coffin display shelf into a unique and hauntingly elegant piece of home decor.

Ready to start your project? Find almost all the tools and materials you’ll need in our coffin shelf DIY Amazon idea list.

Want to see the process in video format? Check out our Coffin Shelf DIY Video Tutorial.

Please comment below or send us a message if you have any questions or feedback – we’d love to hear from you!

Happy DIYing 😊

P.S. Curious about the rest of our lair? Learn more about our design process and find links to the products used in the creation of our Goth Vampire Bedroom.

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