Small Kitchen Ideas: Add an Extra Shelf in Your Upper Cabinets

Small kitchens can be challenging when it comes to storage, but you can easily create more by adding a small extra shelf in your upper cabinets. I did this in my kitchen cabinets in just a few minutes and it made a huge difference in how much I can store in there!

Step 1: Cut Wood

I cut a 1" x 3" pine wood board into 4 pieces: 3 supports for the shelf, about 5 1/2" long, and one piece to make a shelf the length of the cabinet. I used a miter box and saw to do this but you could have your piece of wood cut at the hardware store, even easier!

Step 2: Secure the Supports

Since I'm a renter, I didn't want to make any holes in the cabinets so I used removable double sided tape to secure the supports to the inside of the cabinets. I put tape on the top and side edge of each support and on the back of the 2 side supports, pressing the tape to make sure it adheres well to the wood.

Step 3: Trim Excess Tape

I trimmed the excess tape with scissors and removed the tape liner.

Step 4: Install Side Supports and Shelf Top

I installed the 2 side supports in the back corners of the cabinet, pressing them in place, put the remaining support in the middle of the cabinet, perpendicular to the back, and then simply placed the shelf on top of the supports. The tape on the top edge of the supports keeps the shelf in place.

Step 5: All Done! Using More Vertical Space!

The second shelf makes use of the otherwise wasted vertical space - it's the perfect spot for spices or smaller pantry items and it makes it really easy to see what you have in your cupboards.