Plot Out Your Pegboard Holes

Use the pegboard as a guide. Lay the pegboard on top of the plywood and start plotting out the holes. I chose to make mine five holes apart. Use a pencil to mark through the pegboard onto the plywood.

Once you remove the pegboard, you should have something that looks like this: perfectly aligned pencil marks that will serve as a drilling guide.

Drill the Holes

Using a drill fitted with a 1” forstner bit, begin drilling through the plywood. Be sure to keep the drill completely upright so that the holes are plumb and straight. You may also want to place a scrap board underneath to minimize tear-out on the exit side of the plywood.

Once you drill all of the holes, your plywood sheet should look something like this:

Locate the Studs and Hang the Bracing

Measure, mark and cut two 1x2 boards to the width of your plywood sheet (24”). Using a stud finder, locate the studs in the wall. Pre-drill pilot holes into the 1x2s and attach them to the wall, driving the 2-1/2” wood screws into the studs. Check for level and adjust as necessary.

Hang the Pegboard

Pre-drill pilot holes into the plywood and attach it to the bracing with 1-1/4” wood screws. Check for level and adjust as necessary.

Cut the Dowels and Shelves

You can configure your pegboard shelving system in many different ways. Measure, mark and cut the dowels to your desired length. I cut my dowels to about 7” long so that they were long enough to support the 1x6 shelves and still go through the plywood and touch the wall behind it. 

Measure, mark and cut the 1x6 shelves to your desired length. You can mix and match lengths, depending on your needs. Finally, simply insert the dowels and rest the shelves on top.