Adding Interest to Bookshelves

Hello, friends!  Sorry for my extended absence.  I really don't have a good excuse. I usually use my free evenings to work on the blog.  Unfortunately, it's that time of year when my girls' sports overlap, so now all of  my evenings are busy, busy, busy.  I'm looking for things to ease up in about a month.  Until then I'll be doing what I can to keep the blog interesting enough to keep you coming back without running myself ragged.

Today I'll be sharing a simple project I recently completed.  With just a few simple, inexpensive supplies I was able to take my built in bookcases from boring to breathtaking. It all started last week when I stopped at my local Marshall's.  They always have interesting items in the checkout lane to entice less-than-savvy shoppers to make impulse purchases.  Yes, I fell for the bait (I usually do) when I saw several rolls of this interesting wrapping paper in the checkout lane.

It has a natural look to it with a very subtle metallic sheen.  I can't decide if it looks like cork or wood shims pieced together.  Either way, I knew it would be perfect to line the backs of the bookcases in my bedroom.  I bought two rolls for just $2.99 each.  I've purchased this brand at Marshall's before, so I knew it was fairly heavy duty and would withstand being handled excessively.

My bookcases looked like this before I started:

Not bad, right?  They're not exactly interesting, either.  So, I grabbed some removable double stick tape, the newly purchased wrapping paper, my measuring tape, scissors and a pen.  I was hoping the paper would be wide enough to hang vertically, but (naturally) it was just a few inches short.  I really didn't want to mess with lining up the pattern at the seams, so I decided to run the paper horizontally.  The first thing I had to do was clear off the shelves.

Whew, what  a mess.  I can't believe how much dust was hiding in and around all those tchotchkes. 

Next, I had to measure the distance between the top of the bookcase and the top shelf.

This shelf was twenty two and one half inches below the top, so that's what I marked off on my wrapping paper.

Have you ever used one of these rulers?  They make it so much easier to get a straight line.

I also measured the width of the bookcases, which was 38 inches wide.  I then cut the paper 22.5 inches high by 38 inches wide.

 

Once my paper was cut, I affixed pieces of removable double stick tape around the perimeter of the bookshelf and along the 22.5 inch mark (where the shelf would rest).  I used removable tape in case I want (or need) to take the paper down.

I then adhered my cut piece of paper to the back of the bookcase.  I worked on one small area at a time, straightening and smoothing as I went.

I went down the bookshelf and repeated the process.  Unfortunately for me, one of my bookcases has several outlets.  I had to remove the outlet covers to complete the process of putting up the paper.  This is where I almost got into big trouble.  I didn't turn off the power to the outlets.  After all, I have a steady hand, so my screwdriver wasn't going to slip into any of the holes.  Well, it didn't slip, but something scary happened.  There was a bright flash and a loud pop, and the fuse blew.  I should have known better.  In the future I will never screw an outlet cover on or off without turning off the power, and I would advise you to do the same.

Once I recovered from my near death experience, I decided to cover the outlet covers as well.  I just cut a small piece of paper slightly larger than the cover, wrapped it up like a gift, and reattached it to the wall (obviously, the power was still off).  Here's how it looked when I was finished applying the paper and reattaching the outlet covers.

If you're looking for seams, you won't find them.  They're hidden behind the shelves.

 

I did the same thing with the other bookcase.  After all the paper was applied, it was time to have some fun and add the accessories.  I'm not the best bookcase stylist, so I pretty much just put things back the way they were.  I plan to improve the styling sometime in the near future.  For now, this is what I've got:

I like the way subtle pattern sets off the accessories.

Here's a breakdown of the costs of this project:

• Two rolls of wrapping paper @ $2.99 each - $5.98
• Three rolls of removable double sided tape @ $3.50 each - $10.50
• Total $16.48

To be honest, this project took longer than I expected.  It took about 3 hours, but I love the results and would definitely do it again.  Given the small price tag and the big impact, I don't think any of the bookcases or built-ins in the house are safe from me and my wrapping paper. 


Linking To:

 

http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/