the low shelf

[This post submitted for Montessori Monday at Living Montessori Now.]

At long last, a low shelf!

I feel so ashamed that I would call myself a Montessori enthusiast and yet, Vicki Jo has not had her own low shelf up until now.  Our last living space was not ideal for our life together, and I didn't want to buy more furniture only to move it.  We are finally moved, she has her own room, and the three necessities to me were:  a floor bed, a low shelf (or two!), and a low table and chair.  We have the first, we now have the second, and we will soon have the third.

Rather than buy one, Jeff made one for us and I painted it.  It truly could not have been easier.  I read in Michael Olaf that the shelf was to be four feet in length, 12.5 inches tall, and 11 inches deep.  I cheated a little so that we could use one board, and decided that it would be a simple 4'x1'x1' rectangle.  Jeff bought one 12' 1x12, so that we could have a little room for error.  He sawed it into the proper lengths and screwed it together using a few L-brackets for added strength and stability.

I covered it with some leftover brown paint.  If we wanted to be extra-fancy, we could have sanded and stained it.  The list price in Michael Olaf is $185.  We made this shelf for about $25 - the board cost $22, and then whatever else for screws, brackets and paint. 

I'm trying to keep a variety of interesting work on here.

 Clockwise from top left:
*Napkin and felt square to practice folding
*One rhythm stick (lost its partner!)
*Object permanence box and ball
*A variety of balls that Grandma bought for us ("ball" might be the favorite word right now), for throwing, rolling and chasing
*Circles of varying size, color and texture for sorting and matching
*A little Schleich kitten she loved and wouldn't let go of at the store
*An old doorknob.  I have no idea where this came from, but it has been a favorite for nearly a year.  Vicki Jo loves turning the little lock.
*Good old-fashioned ring stacker

Do the trays look familiar?  I got them at an estate sale several months ago!