How to Make a Stylish Cosmetic Shelf
Putting up a useful and functional cosmetic shelf can be done in minutes with little effort and at virtually no cost. A stylish look can be fashioned simply as well, either by painting the shelf, or applying decoupage techniques and adding clipped pictures to create a collage. With the use of stylish brackets to match the shelf, you can create a look that is all your own. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- One 1-inch x 8-inch board, 2 feet long
- Sandpaper
- Base paint and brush
- Paint supplies (pencil, paints in multiple colors, paint brushes, stencils)
- Decoupage supplies (old magazines, cards, tissue or wrapping paper, scissors, Mod Podge in Lustre Gloss, foam brushes)
- Level
- Two decorative brackets, no larger than 8 inches, with screws
- Screwdriver or drill
Instructions
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1
Sand the board to smooth the cut edges, corners and flat surfaces. Paint a base coat over the entire surface of your shelf board. Choose a color that is light, to allow any painting or collage work to show up well. Wait at least two hours before applying a second coat.
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2
Decide whether you are going to decorate the shelf with paint or decoupage a collage over the shelf. Your can paint simple, quick decorations on the shelf, while decoupage -- the process of gluing paper items to the shelf -- can add more complexity but will take a little longer to create.
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If you are going to do decorative painting, lightly draw the motifs you want to paint. Draw any items you want, such as flowers with vines, country themes with small houses and stars, or even animals like rabbits or cats. If you are going to use stencils, simply make markings to note where you want them placed. Take your time painting the designs, and let the shelf dry completely between layers in the same area.
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To decoupage the board, first cut out pictures, text and drawings from leftover magazines, old cards or any other mementos you want to include. Plan where you want to put the items. Use Mod Podge to apply the pictures to the shelf to create a large collage look. Smooth out air bubbles, and allow the pieces to dry. Apply three more coats of Mod Podge to fully protect the shelf, waiting a few hours between coats.
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5
Mount the brackets by marking a level horizontal line along the wall where you want to put the shelf. Place your brackets a foot apart, with the top edge of the brackets aligned with the horizontal line. Screw the brackets into the wall.
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Set the shelf down over the top of the brackets, with six inches extending out on each side. Mount the shelves by screwing them onto the brackets and secure. Add your cosmetic items to the shelf to complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Take your time collecting photographs and images of items you want to glue to the shelf. Have a theme in mind that you are going for, and collect items based on whether or not they fit the theme.
