So being a good up-cycler I was going to change it to reflect me! I was going to change the look of the shelf with…
Did I paint it, like you all think I did?
No, I used book pages!
Anyway I think I need a break from painting after all the furniture painting I did!
In fact it is a LACK shelf from Ikea. It is meant to look like it is floating. And at 43 inches across it is quite big. My son added a bracket on the side so it wouldn’t come tumbling down on him. Smart kid! Now I can really fill it up to the gills.
Of course I would have preferred something like this, or this, but we work with what we have.
What I Used:
- Mod Podge
- or you can use Elmer’s Glue
- Book pages
- Foam brush
The How To:
Anyway getting back to my tutorial, I cut the edges along by folding and then tearing by hand. No scissors needed. I would brush the Mod Podge on the shelf and then carefully apply the page.
When I got to the edge I’d fold it over and apply the mod podge then glue it on.
I just continued going over the edge and under. And then I worked from underneath starting from the inside.
I know you can’t see this on the screen but the color of the pages matches perfectly with the wall color which is a soft cream. It turned out really great!
You can see to the left that a small bracket was added and I painted that a cream color too so it’ll blend in.
I have the cork board to my left with various wires I use for phones and cameras. They are hanging on push pins but that works just fine. And the framed board used to be a Christmas Decor. I even keep a bunch of mini clothes pins on the calendar in case I want to attach something.
Can you see why I wanted to lighten up that shelf? It felt as if the former black shelf was about to topple over on me. Now it is light and fun!
With simple ideas like this one on how to change the look of a shelf with book pages I should be done in no time. Ha! I hope you don’t believe that.
Help me out a bit and let me know what you think ought to be done with that desk.
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It seriously does look like it’s floating now and by covering the shelf in paper at least you’ll have something to read when those words just won’t come. Well that would be me anyway 😀 Why not continue the theme on your table top Mary? It would look awesome if the legs are painted a hammered black
I was actually thinking of continuing the paper on some storage units I have in the room. But for the table, I am thinking of making it as light as possible, the less black in the room the better. It is such a small room and it looked even smaller before with my son’s black furniture but now with the changes I’m making it already looks twice the size.
I don’t think your desk is a desk at all; my grandmother’s dining room table that I now have has grander legs but has a similar kind of enamel top. The center drawer is really for silverware. I would leave the top alone and do whatever you’d like to the legs. Although I’ve never used the top for the metal value, it would be a great way to position things that need the glue to dry by using magnets to keep them in place. When you need more working space, just extend those leaves!
What you say is true Kathy. I got this desk from my husband when we married and it does open up into a dining room table. You are very observant. I am definitely going to lighten up those legs. And for the top, I’d like to preserve some of it and lighten up the edges.
Hi Mary,
love the new look to the shelf, thanks for sharing it at #FridaysFurnitureFix. love redesigning with decoupage it’s a great way to bring in another textural element. As for the desk, I would keep with ther black and white theme you’ve got going on. perhaps paint the top black and the body white then add the book pages to the inside of the drawer and does the top flip open? accentuate that as well for a nice surprise!
The legs are definitely going to be painted a brighter color, they look positively dirty now. Haha! But the color of the room is a soft cream so I will have to stay away from the black but I really like your idea about adding book pages to the inside of the drawer. The table has an extension and becomes larger but I never use it that way.
I really like how those shelves look! Perfect look for an office, library, homeschool room… the list goes on! Great, Mary!
Thanks Julie, I wanted to try something that wasn’t paint. I think it really changes the look of the corner.
Great idea Mary!
Stacey every once in a while you just have to break out the mod podge!
Hi Mary, I love how your shelf turned out! {I think I began a comment yesterday but got called away, so I know I didn’t finish. 🙂 } Modge Podge is great stuff! I loved making things with it when I was a kid and it’s fun to see how it is used here today!!! Glad you are getting to work on your bedroom now ~ always nice for a refresh. 🙂
Looking forward to seeing your bedroom as you refinish the room, new linens, etc.,
Hugs,
Barb 🙂
Barbara this is not even a refresh. This is trying to make some sort of semblance of a room. Haha!!
I love the look of the pages on the shelf! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
Thanks you Cecilia, I really wanted something more than just paint.
Hmmmm….. maybe a gray charcoal around the edge of the faux butcher block to tie the color of the print on the pages and paint the white page color on the legs and the rest of the bottom. I would look for a fun print with all those colors and wrap it on those several Drop Acoustic Panel Ceiling Tiles for a super large bulletin board. Putting in the wall between the desk and the shelf, connecting the two pieces. That should make on unified piece and look cleaner even if you have to have a bunch of stuff out.
For the super large bulletin board you could continue you page gluing gig😉
That is a great idea Lorin, Because there is always chaos in front of my desk on the walls. It would actually look spectacular.
I like the new look. And you make decoupaging look so easy. Now for the desk, I would love to see what you can do with it!
Decoupage is an easy way to change something and if you don’t like it after a while just strip it! I need to work on that desk soon.
Mary this shelf is so you! It looks a lot better like this and fits in so nicely above the desk. And the desk is really cute, maybe go two tone, white legs and stained top??
Katrin those legs definitely have to go lighter, and the idea of a stained top is good too. I just need to find the right paint because the top is actually metal.
I love the new look of the shelf, and how you have everything staged. Looks really nice! I like the darker top of the desk, but maybe lighten up the rest.
I agree Linda, the legs need to be lighter and I can maybe work with the top in some way.