I had these boring particle board bookshelves here and wasn't sure what to do with them. Then I found this idea on Pintrest http://beingbrook.com/ellies-bookshelf-furniture-redo/ . She covered the back with pretty fabric and painted the shelf to match. So here's my take on her idea.
First, take the shelves out and remove the backboard. Set the backboard aside for later. Paint the pieces with primer. I used Kilz. I decided not to strip the pieces, because I was afraid the stripper would eat through the particle board.
While the paint is drying, measure fabric to the size of the backboard, adding one inch to each side. Cut fabric. Paint backboard with Mod Podge. I painted about a 6" section at a time, then laid the fabric over it to smooth it out. Make sure you leave 1" overlap of fabric over each edge.
Here are the finished shelves! Blue for the boys' room and green for the girls' room.
Here is the "before" picture of the shelf for the boys' room. You will also see a smaller shelf that I did for the girls' room.
First, take the shelves out and remove the backboard. Set the backboard aside for later. Paint the pieces with primer. I used Kilz. I decided not to strip the pieces, because I was afraid the stripper would eat through the particle board.
Next, paint the pieces whatever color you want. I used a latex paint with a satin finish. I applied two coats of paint.
While the paint is drying, measure fabric to the size of the backboard, adding one inch to each side. Cut fabric. Paint backboard with Mod Podge. I painted about a 6" section at a time, then laid the fabric over it to smooth it out. Make sure you leave 1" overlap of fabric over each edge.
After the paint has dried, lay the fabric-covered backboard on the back of the shelf. Pull the 1" extra fabric over the back attach backboard to the shelf with upholstery tacks.
Here are the finished shelves! Blue for the boys' room and green for the girls' room.
