DIY Bookshelf Upcycle

I have officially finished my big project! And by big, I just mean that it's the biggest project I've ever done. When the fiance moved into our apartment, we ended up getting two new bookshelves and couldn't decide what to do with his old one. My dad suggested using it in our kitchen since we don't have much storage space. It turned out to be a fantastic idea on his part. We really wanted to find a hutch or something similar with some cabinet space, but it ended up not being in our budget right now. Since we're both on med school salaries and all.

It was looking a little on the dingy side and the wood laminate look just wasn't cutting it in the kitchen. So, I decided to redo it. 

See what I mean: 

Mom gave me some old black paint they had stored in the garage a few days ago and after finding out the paint under our sink wasn't white like I originally thought, the black ended up saving the day! I bought a $7 can of primer, a few sheets of pretty paper to match the other decor in the kitchen, a roller, and two plastic paint holders. The primer I bought was fantastic because it didn't require that the bookshelf be sanded beforehand.

The first thing I did was take the back off.  It was just a piece of flimsy cardboard so it was pretty easy to get off.

The next thing I did was prime the entire piece. One coat was sufficient.

While it dried on the balcony, I went ahead and ModPodged the papers to the backing I pulled off in my first step. I was worried that the lines would show where I put the pieces together, but it doesn't show at all. I was pleasantly surprised! I also did a coat of Mod Podge on top.

Then I painted it with two coats of the black and nailed the backing on. And now I have a completely new bookshelf. Well, technically it's a pantry now.

I think Martha would be proud.

Also, I absolutely adore damask print!

Finished product:

I think my next project will be to work on some type of food storage system! Maybe some glass containers with some pretty labels? Hmmm. I'll keep brainstorming that one. 

Happy Thursday!