Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Cut a 36-inch by 16-inch piece of plywood with a circular saw, protecting your eyes by wearing safety glasses. This will be the back of the piece you are constructing; it will be flush against the wall. Draw a line with a pencil longways on the plywood 12 inches below the top edge. You will fasten the edge of the shelf that will serve as the floor of the cubbies on this line.
2

Cut a 36-inch long by 12-inch piece of plywood. This will serve as the shelf. Cut two triangular pieces of wood to serve as base brackets to support the weight of shelf and all the objects you put on it. You are going to have to secure the shelf and the brackets will help keep it in place securely.
3

Cut two pieces of plywood, each 12 inches square. These will serve as vertical dividers between the cubbies.
4

Sand each piece of wood you have cut with the power sander to have a smooth finish. Paint or finish if you wish and let dry overnight or according to manufacturer's instructions.
5

Glue the two triangular brackets to the 36-inch-by-16-inch piece described in Step 1 just underneath the line at the 12-inch mark. Glue the 36-inch shelf to the supporting triangular brackets. Glue the cubby dividers in a vertical profile at the 12-inch and 24-inch mark of the shelf. This will give you three distinct areas on the cubby shelf. Clamp the glued pieces and allow four to eight hours for the glue to cure before moving on to the next step. The dryer the conditions, the faster the wood will cure.
6

Make marks on the wall so you can drill holes that will support the cubby shelf. Use a stud finder to find studs and drill only where the weight of the piece can be held solidly in place. Measure carefully and drill corresponding holes on the 36-inch by 16-inch sheet that will be flush against the wall. Secure the piece to the wall using power screwdrivers, screws and wall anchors.
7

Drill two pilot holes for each of the coat hooks that you will install on the backboard underneath the. Use the power screwdriver and screw to secure the coat hooks.