Update A Plain, Boring Shelf in Ten Minutes

I found this square shelf for $.90 at a thrift store years ago and it’s hung on my wall for a while. I’ve been wanting to do something with it but didn’t know what.

I recently bought some stencils that I have been playing around with and I thought I’d see what I could do. I picked out a stencil (these rubbery kind that adhere to a surface are great!) and some paint and got started.

I placed my stencil where I wanted it and dabbed paint a light layer of paint over it. I found that the key is to dab it (not paint over it in strokes) and to wait at least a minute before removing the stencil. I also washed the stencil after each use.

As you peel the stencil back, pull up (and slowly) and you should not have a smeared effect. I learned this after my first smeared one that I ripped up quickly and immediately after painting :)

I continued along the inside edge of the shelf until I was done. It dried really quickly. Then I hung it back up and the little, plain shelf had a whole, new look.

This took about ten minutes and was really easy. I like the subtle look of it. It might even be cute on areas you don’t see too easily, like the underside of a shelf or the sides of drawers (the inside part that only shows when opened).

So if you’re looking for an easy way to update something in your home, consider painting with stencils. They actually have some pretty cute designs these days.

Until next time….xo

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