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- 1). Locate wall studs by tapping across the wall lightly with a hammer, or by using an electronic stud sensor. Hollows, or spaces between the studs, produce a muffled sound when the hammer taps the wall; when the hammer hits a stud, the sound is solid, dense and loud. If this method is not effective for you, use an electronic stud sensor, available at home hardware and home improvement centers. Place the sensor against the wall, allow a moment for it to adjust to the conditions, and then slide it across the wall. It will signal you with a digital display, lights or a sound, depending on the manufacturer, when it locates a stud. Mark the stud locations on the wall with a pencil.
- 2). Measure along a stud location, from the floor to the height you want your storage space. Make a mark at the height. Place a four-foot level on the mark, across to the second stud location. Center the level's bubble, and trace along its edge.
- 3). Push the tip of a manual drywall saw through the drywall at the left end of the line. Cut across the line until you reach the stud. Don't use full length of the saw blade to cut, in case there are hidden electrical wires inside. Make another cut 1 inch below the first, and remove the small section of drywall. Shine a flashlight inside to check for wires. If you see wires, move across to another section of the wall and check again. If the space is empty, cut the drywall down the edge of each stud to the floor. Remove the drywall section.
- 4). Measure the depth of the space, from the back wall to the front edge of a stud. Measure along a 1-by-2 board the same depth measurement, and mark it with a pencil. Place one leg of a carpenter's square along the board's edge, aligned with the mark. Trace the other leg across the board at the mark with a pencil. Cut the board at the line with a handsaw. Cut another matching piece, creating two shelf support cleats.
- 5). Place one 1-by-2 cleat, horizontally against the side of the left wall stud. Align the bottom edge of the cleat with the top of the drywall opening so it is hidden behind the drywall. Insert two screws through the cleat with a power drill, securing it to the stud. Repeat with the other cleat on the right stud.
- 6). Measure the distance between the studs and below the cleats to determine the total width of the opening. Transfer that measurement to a 1-by-4 board and make a mark. Use a carpenter's square to make a straight cutting line, and cut the board along the line with a circular saw.
- 7). Place the cut 1-by-4 board flat against the bottom of the cleats. Nail the board to the cleats with spiral finishing nails, framing and enclosing the top of the storage space.
- 8). Make matching level marks down the left and right studs wherever you want shelves, including the floor level. Cut as many pairs of 1-by-2 cleats as you want shelves, and screw them horizontally into the studs at the marks on both sides. These act as supports for the shelf. Cut 1-by-4 board shelves to match the shelving width, and set them on top of the cleats. There is no need to nail the shelves down, unless desired.
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