---
title: "How to Install Floating Shelves"
description: "This guide shows you how to install floating shelves securely, whether you're attaching them to drywall, plaster, or wall studs."
date: "2012-07-20"
modified: "2024-10-30"
authors:
  - name: "Emily Burns Morgan"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/emily-burns-morgan/"
url: "https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-install-floating-shelves/"
categories:
  - "DIY"
  - "Interior"
  - "Skills & Techniques"
  - "Storage"
  - "Walls & Ceilings"
tags:
  - "drywall"
  - "How To"
  - "News"
  - "organization"
  - "plaster"
  - "shelf"
  - "storage"
---

# How to Install Floating Shelves

![Wooden floating shelves with plants and calendar on a light-colored wall.](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/floating-shelves-1.jpg>)
*Photo: Olga Yastremska, New Africa / Depositphotos*

Before hanging anything on your wall, it’s important to figure out what your wall is made of. Ideally, you should attach floating shelves (or anything else you’re hanging) to a wall stud, because it support the shelves' weight best. A stud finder—a hand-held device that uses a magnet to detect metal, such as the nails and screws in the wall studs of your home—can help you locate these.

## Installing Floating Shelves on Drywall or Plaster

What if you want to hang a shelf in a spot where there's no stud? First, check to see if your wall is made of drywall or plaster by knocking lightly on the wall. If it sounds hollow, it’s drywall. Not hollow? Probably plaster. Another test is to see how readily a nail goes through the wall. If it slides right in, you’ve got drywall. If it takes a few more taps, then you’ve either got plaster or you have found a wall stud (tapping around the sides of the hard area will help you determine which). Once you know what type of wall you’re working with, you'll have a better idea of the kind of hardware that is necessary for your project.

## Installing Floating Shelves on Wall Studs

If you’re going to be attaching your floating shelf and bracket to a wall stud, you do not need any anchors. If you are working with plaster or drywall, however, the shelves will need extra support. [Wall anchors](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-install-a-drywall-anchor/>), also called molly plugs, will help you build a sturdy foundation for your shelf. Regular hollow wall anchors are fine for plaster; for drywall you will need butterfly or toggle anchors. Before deciding which [types of wall anchors](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/types-of-drywall-anchors/>) to buy, consider what you want your shelves to hold. Anchors are rated for how much weight they can support; to be safe, it’s best to aim for the low end of an anchor’s maximum weight rating.

## How to Install Floating Shelves

![Woman is decorating her new home, carefully placing a picture frame on a shelf while surrounded by moving boxes](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/posters-floating-shelves-1.jpg>)
*Photo: PixelVista / Getty Images*

### Tools & Materials

Bobvila.com may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

- [Shelf](</asearch?q=Shelf>)
- [Bracket](</asearch?q=Bracket>)
- [Stud finder](</asearch?q=Stud%20finder>)
- [Wall anchors](</asearch?q=Wall%20anchors>)
- [Screws](</asearch?q=Screws>)

- [Handheld Electric Drill](</asearch?q=Handheld%20Electric%20Drill>)
- [Screwdriver](</asearch?q=Screwdriver>)
- [Level](</asearch?q=Level>)
- [Tape measure](</asearch?q=Tape%20measure>)

**Step 1:** Measure and mark the spaces on the wall (on both ends) of where you want the shelf to go.

**Step 2:** Using a level, draw a line in pencil across the wall to ensure that your shelf will sit straight.

**Step 3:** Use the hand drill to [drill pilot holes](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/pilot-holes/>) into the wall for the anchors.

**Step 4:** Insert hollow anchors into the holes, following the directions on the package.

**Step 5:** Align your bracket with the anchor-filled pilot holes. Using a regular screwdriver, attach the bracket to the wall by screwing into the anchors.

**Step 6:** Slide the shelf onto the bracket.

## Author
A writing instructor and lecturer at the University of Colorado, Emily Burns Morgan holds Bachelor's degrees in English and Philosophy from St. Lawrence University, as well as a Master's degree in Literature from Portland State University. In addition to covering home and garden topics for BobVila.com, Ms. Morgan has contributed to [Propeller](<http://www.propellermag.com/>) and [The Rumpus](<https://therumpus.net/>).

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/mostlynovels>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-burns-morgan-575b29b/>)