Bookshelf Makeover

I am reorganizing our toys and my preschool supplies to get ready for next school year. I wanted a short bookshelf to go on a specific wall that is small. I looked at the prices of shelving units and decided to take a look through the house first to see what I might be able to use.

I found the perfect bookshelf inside of a closet. It is just the right size and height to hold blocks and puzzles. I think it is super cute, but it didn’t start out that way.

This is what the bookshelf looked like before. I had washed the dust off before putting it into a closet last year, but it still needed work.

I knew that if I was going to paint it I would have to sand and prime it first. So, I looked through some of my supplies and found a roll of white contact paper that I had purchased at a yard sale.

I set to work and I think it turned out pretty well. It was a much quicker project than painting it would have been. If I ever decide to paint it I can just peel off the contact paper.

The trick to using contact paper seems to be to just peel a little bit off at a time and smooth it out. I took my time and am pleased with the results.

I hung my homemade felt board above the bookshelf and then put all of our wooden puzzles, Lincoln Logs, and blocks on the shelves.

The letters on the side of the bookshelf were part of a set of alphabet decals my mom gave me. I will be using more of them on a wall.

I even took pictures of the two different kinds of blocks we have and printed them out with the word “blocks” underneath. Then I laminated them. I cut the pictures out, punched holes in the top, and used yarn to tie them to the boxes.

I am happy with my “new” bookshelf and the fact that the project cost me $0 because I was able to use things I already had in my home. Now all I have to figure out is how to keep my 1 year old from pulling everything off the shelves. 🙂 Any suggestions?

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this site.