How to put up shelves

First Steps
If you're making your own shelving, buy 18mm-thick boards of MDF or timber to reduce the chance of sagging. Never start drilling into a wall until you're sure there are no electrical cables or pipes buried in the plasterwork. Use a pipe and cable detector to check.

Plasterboard Walls
To make a fixing in a plasterboard wall, choose a cavity wall plug. For shelves that will only hold light objects, use a screw and toggle fixing which draws the metal toggle against the inside of the cavity. Medium or heavy loads should always be supported by brackets fixed directly to the wooden studwork behind the plasterboard. If you don't have a stud detector, tap the wall with your knuckles and listen for a duller sound that indicates the position of the studs.