Elliot’s low Montessori shelf is one of my favorite projects to date, and it is also the one that I am asked about most often. Low open shelves can be used to hold baskets of organized activities to make learning accessible and to promote independence. It is a great way to incorporate Montessori into your home. At home, much of our focus is on nature and a majority of our practices are based on different aspects of Waldorf and Montessori philosophies. Elliot’s shelf reflects this, holding a mix of practical life activities, nature items, and open-ended toys that he uses for pretend play.

There are several options on the market that can be used as a low Montessori shelf if you are not really a DIY’er. I wasn’t able to find a shelf that was long enough for our needs so I just opted to build one myself. I decided to use solid cherry wood and was lucky to find a full piece that was wider than average (12.5”) from our local lumber yard. The dimensions here will give you a completed shelf that measures 5’w x 1’h x 1’d but you can definitely customize the sizing to fit your space. For this purpose of this tutorial I’ll be showing you how to assemble using pocket holes that can be made with a jig. Using pocket-hole joinery is a quick and easy way to create strong joints and it is a great option for beginners. If you are experienced with woodworking then you should use traditional mortise and tenon joinery to put this together.

Instructions for making the Montessori shelf:

Step 1: How to mark your holes

Lay your pieces out and mark where your pocket screws will go. You’ll be placing 8 total on the underside of both the top and bottom shelf (2 on each of the 4 corners), and 4 total (1 in each corner) on the center divider.

Step 2: Sanding the edges

You’ll be doing some finishing sanding at the end but it’s easier to take care of the edges/corners before you begin assembling. Start with a medium grit followed by a fine grit. The amount that you round the edges off is up to you.

Step 3: How to set up the Kreg Jig

Measure the actual width of your board. The wood I used was 3/4” thick. Use that measurements to set the depth on the drill bit (adjustable with a hex bit) and on the jig itself. Use Kreg’s chart to determine the screw length and thread type that you’ll need. Use a clamp to secure the jig onto your piece of wood.

Step 3: How to drill your holes.

Insert the jig drill bit into your drill and drive the bit into both holes of the guide. The depth collar bit will stop your drill bit at the appropriate depth. Repeat until you’ve drilled all of your holes.

Step 5: How to attach the side and center pieces.

With the top shelf upside down, first attach the side panels by drilling a pocket screw into each side panel horizontally using the square Kreg drill bit. Repeat for the center divider, driving the pocket screws downward into the top shelf.

Step 6: How to attach the bottom shelf.

Place the bottom shelf on top, upside down. Drive pocket screws into the side panels on both sides. Now turn the shelf right side up and finish driving pocket screws into the remaining holes for the center divider. Optional: At this point I chose to add an extra foot under the bottom shelf for stability because our shelf is very long. I used wood glue to attach it and since the shelf is so low, it is not visible.

Step 7: How to add wood plugs

Place a small dab of wood glue in each pocket hole and insert your pocket hole plugs. Let dry. Cut the excess plug off with a flush cut saw and sand. Sand the entire shelf with a fine grit sanding block after this just to make sure you didn’t miss any sharp edges or areas with potential splinters.

That’s it! Something I love about these shelves is their versatility. Ours is constantly changing as we rotate activities and Elliot also uses it as a bench to sit on because it is very sturdy. Later on when we no longer have small children we can repurpose it for another use. I hope you enjoy setting up your Montessori play space!

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