On social media, I have many people telling me that they love this idea especially for their guest rooms, so I hope you can find some inspiration here to bring out your creativity and easily beautify your space
The Vision
The inspiration hit me one summer afternoon. I could see it in my mind, how to build a shelf above the TV with a cover that wouldn’t be seen if it was up. I could also see it being interchangeable as I’m always switching things up and trying out new designs.
I had never used a power saw before, and we had just gotten our first circular saw a few months before that! (For a great power tool free project check my Floating Stair Renovation!) I couldn’t let it go so I went in the garage to look for scraps to see if I had the right pieces to pull it together. I did have the pieces for it so I told my husband “can you give me a quick safety guideline and tutorial on this. I don’t want you to do it, I want to do it myself so I can learn!” He showed me a couple of things that he had learned cutting our plywood floors and using the circular saw for the first time himself only three months prior to this moment. I had some leftover 3/4 of an inch birch plywood, so I used that for the top. I had leftover 1x3s from the baseboards upstairs that I used for the framing. I bought a swaying palms fabric print, a dowel rod, and went to work putting it together!
Supplies
TV Shelf
¾ inch Plywood or Pine
DIY Tapestry
Wall Paint Samples of Choice
Tools
Miter Saw (would make it easier)
Miter Box & Saw (if you don’t want to use power tools)
Or Iron Hem
I moved our TV last week as I wanted to be more intentional with our use of space, and turn this spot into a guest entry and drop zone. I plan to build another one but pulling off the old one helped me see exactly how I put it together. I have to say I was pretty impressed with how I constructed this build with it being my first ever! It has been sturdy and stayed in place for almost 4 years.
I based the shelf on the size of our current 37 inch TV. I made it a few inches wider on each side than the size of the actual TV. I used L brackets to screw it together. If I was building it now I would also use wood glue as it has a lot of strength, but I didn’t know it existed then.
I used bigger L brackets to attach the shelf in two spots from the top of the shelf and into the wall studs. A good stud finder can help you easily locate the center of the stud.
Building Tip
An important part of the design is that at the front of the shelf where you tuck in the rolled-up tapestry: I angled the board slightly forward so that gravity pulls the tapestry into the hidden shelf.
I made the tapestry based on the size of the shelf. I sewed loops from old hair ties to the top, and for almost the whole time, I just wrapped the loops on the screws and used wire to attach the tapestry to it. I did recently try to attach it with Velcro to see if it was a better option. but the Velcro had a really hard time holding onto the fabric side. It had no issues with the shelf side, so I think it could be a great option if you sew Velcro onto the fabric side.
With this tapestry TV cover, we even made our first appearance in a magazine, HGTV magazine in the March 2021 Issue!
Thank you for joining me for this project and be sure to Dwell Aware out there!
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10 thoughts on “DIY TV Cover Shelf”
This is just what I have been looking for! Hide the TV when not in use! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome idea!
Thank you Betty!! I can’t wait to hear how your TV Cover turns out!
Such a good idea, thank you!
Thank you!
Great idea and believe me I’ve scoured Pinterest and YouTube to find the perfect solution to hide our TVS. I love the versatility of your design, for I, like you, want the option to change the cover. Also, way to go on learning how to work the saw etc.! There’s nothing more rewarding then serving the family with practical skills.
Thank you so much D’Edra for the encouraging words! It was a fun and useful project.
Great idea! Thanks a lot.
Thank you!
How do you roll it up? I would love a video tutorial?
Just by hand, it only takes a few seconds! I would love to make a tutorial in the future!