This simple DIY art ledge is a stylish way to display your favorite art. And since you can make it as large as you need to, it's perfect for displaying large and oversized art!
– Wood of your choice (we used red oak) – Danish oil or hemp oil – Wood glue – Clamps (these are the clamps we use) – Screws and drill driver – Handsaw or electric saw if you plan to cut the wood yourself
The first thing you want to do is measure the length that you want your picture rail to be. In our space, the distance from one wall to the other was 15' 7".
Head to your local home improvement store or lumber store to pick up the wood of your choice. As I mentioned, we used red oak. 18-foot length pieces were not sold, so we had to purchase 12′ and 6′ lengths of each size of wood that we needed.
Cut all of your wood pieces to the exact same length. (As I mentioned before, you can have this done at the store where you purchase the wood and save yourself that step!)
Finish your wood in whatever way you choose. We wanted to keep a natural look and just enhance the beauty of the wood, so we used Danish oil. Hemp oil would also be a great choice.
Attach the bottom piece to the back piece using wood glue and screws. I recommend that you apply the wood glue and then clamp the pieces together as you drive the screws in.
Repeat that process to attach the front rail. The only difference in this step is that I recommend using wood glue and finishing nails to attach the front piece because you don’t want to see exposed nail heads.