DIY | Fabric Wrapped Shelves

Contributor post by Rachel of the Crafted Life


Time:
30 minutes + dry time
Materials: natural fiber fabric, wooden shelf, mod podge, sponge brush, scissors, bone folder (optional),





When decorating, I tend to play it safe and stick to neutrals for the larger furniture pieces in my home. Sometimes though, it can get a little boring. So, when I need to shake things up a bit, I like to and add pops of color wherever I can. Fabric wrapped shelves not only give me that burst of color that I need, but they also provide a subtle texture that helps tie everything together.




You'll need about half a yard of fabric for each color. If you're concerned about getting your hands messy, wear gloves because you'll most likely come in contact with Mod Podge at some point during this project.

Step One:
Cut your fabric into strips. They should be about 1"-2" in width and be as long as possible. You'll need a strip for each side (4), then 4 smaller, shorter strips for the corners.




Step Two:
Start by wrapping your corners with the smaller strips of fabric to avoid bunching later. It will help you to position your fabric before applying the glue so that you can make changes if need be.



Step Three:
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the wooden shelf and place your fabric on top. Pull your fabric tight over the shelf and smooth down with a bone folder or your finger. You want to avoid bumps and bunching as much as possible. I also recommend not applying Mod Podge over the fabric as it may dry a different, darker color than the original fabric (it also stiffens it to the touch).


Step Four: 
Repeat process by moving in sections, wrapping one side at a time. Once your shelf is fully wrapped, allow for the Mod Podge to dry completely before hanging.





Meet the Contributor:

Rachel Mae Smith lives in San Francisco, CA. She loves do-able diys and strives to make crafting easy and fun over on her blog The Crafted Life. When she’s not pinning pictures, or brushing glitter out of her hair, you can find her exploring and photographing the Bay Area.
 

Jan Halvarson

4 comments:

Lucy said...

Thank you! These will look great at our office!

Unknown said...

you bien

Unknown said...

You are a creative

Unknown said...

Such a cool idea! It's awesome to see how much just a simple shelving idea can change a room. This reminds me of some other home friendly shelving units from http://www.shelving.com/ that would also go along with this design.