DIY Pokemon Shelf for Under $40 (Pottery Barn Dupe!)

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If your kids are obsessed with Pokemon, like mine, you’ve probably seen that popular round Pokemon shelf from Pottery Barn. But then you felt your jaw drop at the $180 price tag. Hard pass! The good news? You can make the it at home for under $40. Honestly, I like this DIY version better. This version holds more Pokemon toys, which is a win-win for both parents and kids. This DIY Pokemon shelf is a fun weekend project, budget-friendly, and a total showstopper in any kid’s room. Let’s go Pokemon Trainers/parents of Pokemon Trainers!

Watch the full tutorial below, then keep scrolling for the complete list and step-by-step breakdown!

FULL TUTORIAL:

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Materials

Want to grab everything at once? I’ve got all the materials linked in one place right here for easy shopping! Or find each item individually below:

Note: I had many of the items from beforehand. The estimated cost of this project with all the necessary materials is about $38.75.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Find Your Round Base

Head to your local hardware store and look for a large round wooden tabletop. These are typically sold in the tabletop or stool section and come in multiple sizes (14¼ inch, 18 inch, and 24 inch are common). Since Pokemon toys, cards, and plushies tend to multiply fast in this house, go with the 24-inch for maximum display space! You can find one at Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Pro tip: Inspect the wood carefully before buying! Check for cracks or imperfections — lesson learned the hard way. If you do end up with a small crack, don’t panic. Just fill it with Gorilla Glue, clamp it, let it dry, and sand it smooth before painting.

You can also find round wooden circles at Michaels, but they tend to be thinner and pricier than what you’d find at a hardware store.

Step 2: Cut Your Shelf Planks

You’ll need three shelves total, one for each section of the Pokeball design: the red top, black middle, and white bottom.

If you have scrap wood at home, this is the perfect time to use it! Otherwise, a White MDF Board from Lowe’s works perfectly and typically costs less than $4.

To figure out your shelf lengths:

  1. Find the center of your round base.
  2. Decide how far apart you want your shelves spaced. Think about what you’re storing — cards need less height than plushies!
  3. Mark your cut lines using a rafter square for clean, straight edges.
  4. Cut your planks to size using a miter saw.

Make sure all three shelves are the same width so everything lines up evenly.

Step 3: Paint Everything Pokeball Colors

Time for the most satisfying part: painting! You’ll need red, white, and black spray paint. Rust-Oleum is my go-to brand for smooth, even coverage.

  • Round base: Paint the top half red and the bottom half white.
  • Middle shelf plank: Paint black.
  • Top shelf plank: Paint red (or leave it red if already painted).
  • Bottom shelf plank: Paint white.

Clever trick for clean lines: Once the red paint dries on the base, cover the top half with Saran wrap secured with blue painter’s tape, then spray the bottom half white. It works beautifully and gives you super crisp, clean lines!

Allow everything to fully dry between coats and before moving to the next step. Take a snack break, you’ve earned it. 🍩

Step 4: Make the Pokeball Center Detail

Every Pokeball has that iconic small circle in the middle, and we’re recreating it! Here’s how:

  1. Take a wooden coaster and paint the outer ring black and the inside white.
  2. Paint the edges of a small wooden circle white.
  3. Once everything is dry, use Gorilla Glue to attach the small circle onto the center of the coaster.
  4. Let it dry completely.

This will eventually be placed right on the black middle shelf to complete the Pokeball look.

Step 5: Assemble the Shelves

Now it’s time to put it all together! Here’s the order of operations:

  1. Mark your shelf lines on the painted base before gluing anything. Lightly draw a pencil line where each shelf will sit, and label “bottom” so you stay oriented.
  2. Attach the black middle shelf first. This anchors your center point. Apply Gorilla Glue along the shelf edge, line it up carefully, and clamp it in place. Wipe away any excess glue with a damp cloth right away.
  3. Let the glue dry overnight. Seriously, don’t rush this step!
  4. Nail gun the shelves from the back for extra security. This step is optional (wood glue alone should hold Pokemon figurines just fine), but if you have a nail gun available, go for it!
  5. Attach the white and red shelves the same way — wood glue, clamp, let dry, then nail from the back.
  6. Glue the Pokeball center detail onto the black shelf.

Step 6: Add Wall Hanging Hardware

This round base is thick and heavy since it was designed as a tabletop, so you want sturdy wall hanging hardware. I used D-ring hangers rated for at least 40 lbs with two brackets evenly spaced across the back of the shelf.

Before drilling into your wall:

  • Hold the shelf up and use a level to make sure it’s straight.
  • Mark your wall anchor points.
  • Use a self-centering drill bit to drill pilot holes before screwing in your hardware. It makes the job so much cleaner!

Double-check that everything is level before hanging. You don’t want your Pokemon toys doing a slow slide off the shelf!

Tips, Variations & Mom Hacks

🔴 Size it for your collection. Not everyone has enough Pokemon to fill a 24-inch shelf (though give it a few months with kids and you will). The 18-inch version is perfect for smaller collections or tighter wall space. Grab either size at Lowe’s or Home Depot.

🎨 Customize the colors. Want a Pokeball from a specific generation? You can swap in purple and white for an Ultra Ball, yellow and black for a Master Ball-inspired look, or any color combo your kiddo loves. The same Rust-Oleum spray paint comes in tons of colors!

🪵 Use scrap wood to save even more. Got leftover wood from another project? The shelf planks are a great use for it. That’s how this one stayed so far under budget!

🔧 No miter saw? No problem. Ask your hardware store to cut the wood planks for you. Most stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s will make cuts for free or a small fee. But if you want to invest in one for future projects, I have my miter saw and stand linked for you!

🧹 Saran wrap masking trick. Using Saran wrap as a masking tool for spray paint is a game-changer for clean paint lines. Just make sure to tape it down well with painter’s tape so there are no air gaps.

🪝 Double up on wall anchors. Because this shelf is heavier than your average floating shelf, always use two D-ring hangers and make sure they’re going into wall studs or drywall anchors rated for the weight.

The Budget Breakdown

Item Cost
24″ round wooden tabletop $17.50
Spray paint cans (x3) $6.00 each
Pack of wooden coasters $3.25
Total $38.75

Pottery Barn shelf: $180
Your savings: $140 💰

This DIY Pokemon shelf is proof that you really can make incredible, show-stopping things on a budget — no fancy skills required. If you’re staring at your kids’ Pokemon collection wondering where to put it all, this is your sign to grab some wood and spray paint and make it happen!

Did you make this shelf? I’d love to see it! Drop a photo in the comments below or tag me on Instagram. And if you’re a Pokemon-obsessed household like us, save this post to Pinterest so you can find it when you’re ready to build. Don’t forget to watch the full video on YouTube for more budget-friendly DIYs, holiday crafts, and family projects.

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