DIY Built-In Wine Rack

I was never a huge fan of our clipped ceilings in the loft and I struggled to figure out how to best design the game room despite the ceilings. As I started planning the bar, I started to look at the clipped ceilings in a new light.

What if I played off of the clipped ceilings? What if I created a wine rack that was made specifically for the space? What if the wine rack angles matched the clipped ceiling so that it looked like the clipped ceilings were part of the design?

And now this slanted wine rack has to be my favorite DIY in the entire game room (and there were a lot of DIYs in there)

So let’s start DIYing!

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Tools

• Drill
• Kreg Jig
• Miter saw or circular saw
• Electric sander
• Nail gun
• Stud finder

DIY Wall Wine Rack

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Step 1: mark the studs

Find and mark your studs. You’ll want to secure the wine rack to the studs as much as possible to make sure that it can support the weight of all of the bottles of wine.

Step 2: cut your side boards

Cut your side boards out of the 1x12s. Once you have the two side boards cut, have someone hold them in place and get the measurements for your top board. Cut your top board to size.

Note: it is extremely unlikely that the top board and the shelves will be square. Our walls were very out of square which resulted in a lot of trial and error and very strange angles. To minimize the amount of times you need to measure, measure the front, middle, and back and draw those measurements on the board.

step 3: cut your trim boards

The trim boards will be at the top of the wine rack to help cover any gaps that you might see due to an uneven ceiling.

Step 4: drill pocket holes

Drill several pocket holes in the side board that will not be against another wall. You want the pocket holes to be on the inside of the wine rack so that they can be the most hidden. Drill 2-3 pocket holes on each side of the top board to attach into the side boards later. 

Step 5:sand

Sand your boards using 80, 120, and 220 grit sandpaper for a smooth finish.

Step 6: Paint

Step 7: Install your top and side boards

For the side board that is going against the wall, simply screw it into the studs. For the other side board, you will screw into the pocket holes that you made in step 4 and into the back wall. Screw the top board into the ceiling using screws and into the side boards through the pocket holes. Nail on your trim boards to cover any gaps between the boards and the ceiling.

Step 8: fill holes

Putty all of the pocket holes and screw holes that are in your side boards. Once dry, lightly sand and paint over the putty and the back wall. You can wait until the end to do this, but I think it’s easier to get these ones now instead of having to maneuver around the shelves later.

Step 9: mark your shelves

Using chalk, we’re going to mark where the shelves will go. We decided to have 6″ between each shelf. Measure down 6″ from the bottom of the top board on each side and mark with chalk. For the remaining shelves, you want to account for the width of the shelf above, so measure 6.75″ from your chalk mark. Continue marking until you have the desired number of shelves.

As mentioned earlier, it’s unlikely that your shelves will be square and all the same size. Measure the front, middle, and back of the shelves to try to get the best fit. That being said, you can cut the first one and use it as a guide for the rest. Test it in each location to see if the new shelf needs to be the same size, larger, or smaller.

Step 10: cut your shelves

This might take a lot of trial and error, so be sure to check your shelves along the way.

Step 11: drill pocket holes

Once you are content with how your shelves fit, drill 3 pocket holes on each side of the bottom of the shelf.

Step 12: sand your shelves

Sand your shelves using 80, 120, and 220 grit sandpaper. Wipe the down to remove any sawdust.

Step 13: paint your shelves

We used Sherwin Williams Naval – it’s the perfect navy!

Step 14: install your shelves

Once the paint is dry, it’s time to install the shelves! You already have where your shelves should be marked with chalk, so slide your shelves in so that are are aligned with the chalk and then screw them in.

Step 15: finishing touches

Fill all of the pocket holes. Once the spackle is dry, light sand until flush.

Caulk all of the seams.

Once the caulk is dry, paint your wine rack.

There you have it! A DIY built-in slanted wine rack. Man, this thing holds a lot of wine. I guess we’ll never run out now!

Looking for more wine rack inspiration? Check out our roundup of the best DIY wine rack plans on the internet!