Y’all, these letter ledges are so cute and super easy to make! They will work on any walls, textured or not and studs or no studs because they are held up with command strips. Which also means no holes in your walls! So they are renter friendly, affordable and super easy! Win, win, win. And bonus, they cost less than $20…total and can be made in less than two hours! In this post you will find a supply list, a tool list and all of the info you’ll need to make four of your very own letter ledges!
Supply List:
- 1×2 Commonboard – 8 ft. as straight as possible
- Command strips (12) – something like these
- Letters in color of your choice – I made mine, but I’ll link options below
- Wood stain in color of your choice – I used Special Walnut
- Sand paper – 120 and 220 grit
Tool List:
- Table saw – this is the table saw we have
- Miter saw – this is a good option
- Electric sander – this is the sander we have
- Tape measure
- Right angle
- Level
- Pencil
We were terrible about taking pictures while making these, but they really are simple and I’ve included some diagrams that should help. Please read through the tutorial entirely before beginning to ensure you have all of the supplies, tools and knowledge you need. Here are a few tips to know before you get started:
Tips:
1. Your table saw should be secure and on a surface where it cannot move, like on a workbench or other type of surface. Do not attempt to rip boards on a portable table saw with collapsable legs. Here is another good option (put on a workbench not collapsable legs). If you want to spend a lot more and get a really high end table saw, this could be a good option for you.
2. Be sure when creating the groove for the letters to sit in that you cut the groove into the correct side of the board. It should be cut into a shorter side, not one of the sides that measure 3/4″. You want your ledges to be taller than they are deep once you have them on the wall.
3. It’s important to remember how your ledges will be placed on the wall. Look at the pictures several times if necessary. They are taller than they are deep. The groove will be carved into the top of one of the short sides and will face upwards on your wall. The 3/4″ sides will be against the wall and on the front.
4. My letters are 5″ tall, but your letter size will depend on how far apart your space your boards and personal preference.
Step One: Trim
Alright, let’s get started by cleaning up the ends of our boards. Use your tape measure and right angle to mark lines 1/8″ from each end of the board as shown in the diagram above. Using a miter saw, cut along your marked lines to chop off each end of your 1×2 board. This ensures that the rough, unfinished ends are removed and you’re left with nice smooth ends.
Step Two: Cut
Use your tape measure and right angle to mark a line down the middle of your board as shown in the diagram above. Using a miter saw, chop the board in half along your marked line so that you have two pieces that are about 4′ long (they will be just shy of that since you trimmed the ends).
Step Three: Rip
Set the fence on your table saw to 3/4″ and run one of your boards through the saw length wise so you now have two long pieces from that one piece. One should measure 3/4″ wide and the other will be a bit wider than that. Next, run the second piece you cut through the saw with the fence still in place. You should now have two boards that are about 4′ x 3/4″. Repeat this step for the other 4′ board.
Step Four: Carve
Carve the groove in your boards where your letters will sit in by angling your table saw blade to approximately 15 degrees and setting your fence at 1/4″. Take one of your boards and face the shorter edge (not the side that measures 3/4″) down towards your saw blade. You’re going to run this board through your saw from end to end, but the blade will not cut all the way through. Instead it will leave a groove on the underside of the board as shown below.
Step Five: Sand
Use your electric sander to sand your boards entirely with 120 grit sand paper. Once you’re done, switch to 220 grit and sand completely.
Step Six: Stain
Dip lint-free cloths in your stain and apply to all sides of each ledge. Apply as many coats as desired, letting each coat dry before applying another.
Step Seven: Level
After your ledges are completely dry, bring them inside and decide where you’d like them placed on the wall. Decide how high you want the highest board to be, how low you want the lowest board to be and the spacing you want between each board. Once you have an idea of where you’d like them, use your tape measure, pencil and level to make marks where each board will be placed. We started with our bottom board. Hold your bottom board up against the wall where you’d like it to be. Place your level on top of the board in the middle and adjust until it is balanced. Once it’s balanced, draw a short line along the top and side at each end of the board to form an “L” shape. This is where the corners of your boards will be when you adhere it in the next step.
Step Eight: Adhere
Remove the sticker from one side of a command strip and place it on the end of the backside of your board (remember that your groove will be toward the front of the side facing up). Remove the sticker on two more command strips and adhere one to the center of the board and one to the other end as shown in the diagram above. Remove the remaining stickers from the command strips and adhere the board to the wall, aligning it with the “L” shape marks you made in the step above.
Step Nine: Repeat
Repeat steps seven and eight for the remaining three boards. Be sure to measure the space you want between two boards then level and mark it.
Step Ten: Letters
Come up with a fun saying and place your letters on the boards by sliding or setting them into the grooves! I made my letters but you can also buy letters here or here. Good luck, you can do it!
*post contains affiliate links
