$1 Laundry room shelf

I’m thinking about changing the name of my blog to “Everything’s $1”.  Not really, but the last few projects I’ve posted about have been ultra-thrifty!  This little shelf is no exception.  I bought it from a yard sale for $1.00.  Everyone loves a good before and after, so here you go.


Before: your basic 1980’s kitchen shelf complete with a weird picture of a nest, some onions, books, a salt shaker, a pomegranate and some butterflies.  I’m pretty sure all the bases were covered with this one!



After:  A little shelf with some personality.  At least now it has only one personality and isn’t trying to be so many things like it was in the 80’s : )

You really don’t need a tutorial for this one, but I’m gonna give you a brief one anyway. 

First I scraped off the 1980’s mixed up decal.  It left the surface quite gummy, so I knew I didn’t want to paint over that.  I spray painted the shelf Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze.  Then I brushed on some white latex paint over it.  I let it dry overnight and then took my sandpaper to the edges to rough it up a bit. 

 

I mod podged some cute blue scrapbook paper that looks like water droplets onto my already gummy surface inside the “frame”. 

I then cut out some stencils on cardstock using my Silhouette.  I used the letter cutouts to place my wording, and I used red craft paint to stencil the words, “It all comes out in the Wash” onto my frame.  I learned the hard way on this project that mod podge is slick and the paint from your stencil will run if you are not super careful- trust me, I tell you.



I then took 2 metal buckets that I bought from Michael’s and slapped a Silhouette vinyl label on each of them.  One is for coins found in the washer or dryer and the other is for the miscellaneous odds and ends that I always seem to find in our laundry.  You wouldn’t believe the legos, pens, pencils, erasers, toys, and other “important” items that my kids leave in their pockets.  Now, instead of them sitting on top of the washer or dryer in piles, they can be placed in the buckets.  If they are not claimed in a reasonable amount of time, they become the property of mom : )



So, this was a simple project that anyone could do to tidy up their laundry area or another problem area of the house.  All you need is a $1 shelf.  If you can’t find one, just ask me, I think I may have a few more squirreled away…


Happy organizing!










Linking up to these great parties:

Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes, Crafty Scrappy Happy Me Thursday, Show and Share at Southern Lovely, Weekend Wrap up party at Tatertots and Jello, Time to Shine at A Diamond in the Stuff, Whatcha got Weekend at Lolly Jane, Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid, Too cute Tuesday At Funky Polka Dot Giraffe, Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP, Show me whatcha got at Not just a Housewife, Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous