DIY Mini Arched Shelf (From A Cardboard Box!) – Trash To Treasure Upcycles

Upcycle your spare cardboard into an aesthetic arched DIY arched shelf with this easy tutorial! Affiliate links in post.

One of my favourite things to come out of 2022 so far has to be my new-found love of cardboard. Yes, you heard that correctly: cardboard. (Is the fact I now have a valid excuse to internet shop and hoard boxes a bit of a problem? Maybe. But I’m focusing on the positives here.)

In case you missed it, so far I’ve shown you guys how to use cardboard to create arched side tables – and even a gorgeous arched bookshelf.

Well, my top 31 DIY earring holder ideas post is doing pretty well SEO-wise and so, for reasons pertaining to capitalism, I decided to jump on that train and use cardboard to DIY a little jewelry holder.

And guys? She is so freaking cute.

Honestly, I think this would work so well as a little DIY gift – and you can completely customize the shape and size to fit your needs! A little crescent moon shape could be really cute. (Especially if you paired it with my moon-shaped DIY trinket dish . . . just saying.)

I made these for one of my besties Raven and she loves it! (Allegedly. I’ll admit it – she’s kind of obligated to say that.)

Another fun idea could be to make and sell these on Facebook Marketplace. When I left Australia, I sold my arched bookshelf – and actually made a profit.

Side note: Would anyone be interested in a series where I test out making and selling things on Facebook Marketplace? I wrote about about how I earned $300 making and selling easy DIY wall art on FB as part one of my crafty side-hustles series – but I could totally delve deeper into Marketplace if you guys were keen!

Back to the point: this DIY jewellery holder. Everything about the final project is such a vibe to me! The arched shelf? Faux ceramic look? It almost hurt me to give it away. Alas, my wife is worth it.

Anyways – let me not blabber on too much. Shall we jump into the making?

Tip: I used a sanding sponge for this – but that means I couldn’t sand the corners and insides as much as I’d have liked. So, for a smoother finish, I recommend sanding paper instead.

What You Need:

• Cardboard
• Joint compound/plaster
• Plastic spreader
• Hot glue gun (you can use other glue types for this; I just find hot glue quickest to work with as I am impatient)
• (Optional) Sanding paper
• Scissors

How To Make:

Check out my TikTok tutorial to visually follow along with these instructions!

@miasdiyprojects

first craft in canada? #diyproject #upcycling #cardboardcrafts #diyjewellerybox #fyp#diyhomedecor

♬ Vibes – Julius Waldeck

1. Cut an arched shape out of your cardboard box. (This will act as the backing of your shelf.)
2. Fold over a “foot” for your shelf from the bottom of the card. Take measurement of how deep this foot/base is.
3. Making sure that the lines in your card are running horizontally, cut a long strip of card out. This needs to be the width of your shelf foot and long enough to connect the from one edge of the base to the other. (This will act as your shelf’s roof.)
4. Bend along the horizontal lines in your roof to create a seamless curved shape, then hot glue the roof into place.
5. From here, cut card strips down to act as shelving inserts. You can experiment with the set-up – there are tons of cute options!
6. Use an xacto knife to cut a small hole near the top of the shelf, in case you want to hang it using nails.
7. Hot glue your shelves into place. You should now have a complete cardboard frame for a shelf!
8. Now for the fun part! Use your plastic spreader to cover your work in joint-compound/plaster. I like to build the corners up and curve the spreader to create a rounded edge. You can also use your hands for this if you have gloves.
9. If you like how it looks after the first coat, awesome! For me, it took 3 coats of slowly building and filling in small aps before I was totally happy with the coverage.
10. Once you’re happy with the coverage, leave to set for 24 hours.
11. Optionally, sand down for a smoother finish.

All in all, this is a super easy and fun craft – albeit, a little time consuming. (She’s definitely a weekender.) However, considering this little shelf was made from scrap cardboard, I am thoroughly in love with the end result!

In fact, I now have an idea for something similar I want to make for my room . . . But that is a project for another day!

Alright, my friends, I hope you guys love this project as much as I do. If you do, remember to share it on Pinterest for me – and follow me over on the ‘gram and TikTok.