The Not so Typical Cat Tree

After getting the most precious little kitten as a present about a year and a half ago I turned into the typical “new” pet owner and was constantly looking for things I thought he “Needed” or would “Enjoy”.  To my dismay, the ohhh so popular Cat Tree’s I found (within my budget ) were not very appealing to my taste.    I also found many of them were quite large which added to the dilemma since my condo is pretty limited in space.  

Then came my first moment of “Pin-spiration” after coming across a few pin of Cat Shelves.   Well of course, that’s it ...I’ll make shelves.   I had the perfect location, but how could I incorporate them so they don’t just look like empty, awkwardly placed shelves.  The solution – round shelves and a vinyl wall transfer in the image of a tree.

Materials you’ll need:

• MDF / Wood at least 1" thick.  I chose MDF because it gives a smooth finish and is generally easier to cut.
• Wall mounting hardware.  
• Paint
• Vinyl wall transfer
• Wood Glue if using additional triangle support

What to do:

1. Apply your vinyl transfer to the wall. At this point you'll have a better idea of where your shelves will fit and how many you'll need to make
2. Create a cardboard template of your shelves.  I drew a cloud type shape for my shelves as I thought it would help them blend into the wall better. 
3. Trace your template onto the MDF and cut out.  Note: Given the type of mounting hardware I chose, I opted to cut out additional triangles which I glued  to the bottom of the shelf for additional support.  If you choose this option make sure to use wood glue and allow enough time for the glue to dry and properly set. 
   
4. Paint your shelves. 
5.  Once the paint has dried, attach the hardware to the back of your shelf.  Be sure to pre-drill a pilot hole since MDF has a tendency to split pretty easy if you just attack it right away with a full size screw. 
   
6.  Figure out where you want your shelves and mark the wall accordingly.  Make sure to use anchors if you are not screwing directly into a stud. 
7. Attach your shelf and watch your furry little friend enjoy :)