Do it yourself picture wall shelves

I have been speaking, preaching, nagging, dreaming . .(what ever you want to call it) about a picture wall to Javy for about 2 years. I had the perfect spot for it in my living room. There was only 1 problem.

1. I have slowly gotten rid of all of Javy's "bachelor" decorations. In the 8 years we have been together he only had a lonely surf board left hanging on our walls. 

I wanted this surf board down, and I wanted this wall. After a few years of brainwashing him into a picture wall, he gave in. Only under 1 condition.

1. I have to do the whole thing myself. 

The thought of hanging a picture and making it straight terrified me. I was up for the challenge. I did lots of research on the kind of shelf I wanted here is what I came up with and how for a total price for shelves $30!!!

1. Floating shelves are EXPENSIVE. Especially when you want a 6  and 3 foot long one. Make your own shelves. Start with going to your local Home Depot and buy some GOOD wood. Don't get the cheapest stuff (although tempting) spend the extra bucks and get some quality (Javy found my wood)
2. Find the least noticeable shelving anchors. You don't want something big and bulky.
3. Find your stain of choice. I wanted dark. (Javy did this)
4. Bring your wood home and use a table saw to cut a small crease down the middle of the wood (to hold your frames up right on the shelf)  (Javy did this)
5. Start the staining. Javy told me this would takes days. I didn't believe him. it takes days. You really want to get a good color going on your wood. You need to let it dry and stain again, let it dry and stain again. Blah. (Javy did this)
6. Arrange your pictures on the floor prior to hanging. This way you can get an idea of shelving spaces prior to screwing everything up once your shelves are up.
7. Hang up those shelves. I pouted a little, threw a small temper tantrum about hanging the shelves myself and before I knew it Javy was helping. Actually, who am I kidding, he did it all. I sat on the couch and made sure everything was straight.

        8.  Once your nice little homemade shelves are up on the wall. Arrange your pics accordingly. There you go, your very own picture wall. I love it

Please note: I ended up putting down one coat of stain myself, putting pictures in the frames, and organizing the frames myself. THANK GOD FOR AN AMZING HUSBAND WHO GIVES INTO MY POUTY FACES AND SAD EYES.