Second episode of my Low Budget Sewing Room Series: this time I’m telling you how we coated shelves for FREE!

I am so lucky to have Mr. P. (hubby) who is a DIYer at least as I am, plus he is really good at welding steel; when we decided to organize my new Low Budget Sewing Room, he kindly offered himself to build me a huge shelving structure.

Then we went to his hut, where his father used to pile up any sort of materials (wood, steel, old furnishings, old boilers, you name it, he has it!) and we made “shopping”! We have found some big old wooden panel (3 m long x 1 m wide), white-painted but all stained… bought!

When we took them home, I tried painting them with some red and green varnish (not together LOL!), but the result wasn’t that good!

The top was uneven and it seemed to be drinking the varnish here and there, leaving an ugly surface that a second coat wouldn’t hide.

So I started to think how could I cover those bad-looking shelves, staying within my Low-Budget…

Then the proverbial light bulb lighted!!!

I have so many bolts of wool fabric, in dark colors, and I rarely sew wool! I hate that I have to dry-wash it, so I often choose not to use it… this plus my Low-Budget equal…

Wool Coated Shelves

Obviously, you can coat your shelves with any kind of fabric, better if you don’t have to pay for them!

Materials:

shelves

staple gun + staples

fabric

Let’s start with those ugly shelves, half painted – half not, with a really awful surface.

I’ve found easier to put them standing on the longer and narrow side; check if your fabric will be high enough to be able to cover all the shelf (one of mine wasn’t!), simply laying the fabric on the shelf. If it’s wide enough, you can simply cut it as long as the shelf, plus 5 cm (roughly 2 times the depth of the shelf).

If it’s a little tight like one of my bolts, proceed as I did by cutting a strip of fabric that will cover the part of shelf that will go near the wall (so it will be less noticeable). Put it in place and add some staple. I suggest you to slightly pull your fabric, just to be sure not to leave room for wrinkles!

Put as many staples you need to have fabric laying flat, than turn the shelf upside down, putting the long and narrow coated side on the ground.

If you still haven’t cut the main piece of fabric, do it now, than lay it on top of the shelf, putting the fold exactly along the naked long and narrow side (it will help you laying it straight!), then go on adding staples!

Start fixing the fabric on top on both sides, slightly pulling the fabric along the original bolt fold (check the fabric excess right now: you want it to be no more than 1.5 times the shelf depth longer – rip the excess off, if you need to!)

Now, into one side: I’ve seen that the best way (at least, for me! If you have any suggestion, speak now 🙂 …) was to wrap it as a gift! Using as many staples as you need, fold the first side above the short narrow naked side and fix it all from top to bottom.

Then, on the other side, fold it twice (so you won’t have a fraying edge!) and staple it above the fabric you’ve just fixed…. Go now into the other naked end and repeat (it will be harder now that it’s already blocked on the other end, but try to pull the fabric and you’ll have a perfect result!)

Put now a row of staples along the selvedges on both sides:

your Shelf is now Coated!!!

Put it on the shelving, repeat for all your shelves, step back and admire!

Now I only have to fill The Shelving with all The Goodies (fabrics and old clothes), using your lovely suggestions

(thank you all, ladies !!!)

Do you like this little corner of my sewing room? More details coming soon about The Cutting Table and The Sewing Machine/Serger Table – stay tuned!

PS: I’m drawing a skirt for girls…

There will be a size 5 for sure (for LilPotato), which sizes would you like?? Let me know…

– It will be FREE for all Weekly Newsletter subscribers, as for The Eriqua Dress! –

With this post I’ll try to link up in some of my favorite Linky Parties!