When it comes to furnishing your home with shelving and furniture, measuring your space properly and buying appropriately-sized furniture is crucial. If you mess up the measurements, you just have to return your over sized furniture and start over again. At times, a measuring mishap can be a blessing in disguise.
When one family bought three IKEA Expedit shelves to fill up a corner space in their front room, they measured wrong and ended up with a shelf that was about 5 inches too wide. Now, if you’ve ever built IKEA furniture, you know the assembling process definitely isn’t anything to write home about. There always seem to be so many tiny pieces and the instructions are always minimal, so putting it together only to take it right back apart is really frustrating. Rather than return the whole thing, this DIY savvy family created something new.
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They discovered that by turning the third shelving unit sideways, they could fit all three shelves within their designated space. It looked a little weird though, so they knew they had to do something clever. What’s better than turning the blank side of a shelf into something useful, like a chalkboard?!
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To try this yourself, start by taping off the edges of your shelf, creating a frame around where you want your chalkboard to be. Make sure to measure carefully and use a level to create clean, even chalkboard edges. You don’t want another measuring mishap on your hands.
You’ll notice this family used old CDs to create an outline for rounded corners. Just be sure to use CDs you don’t mind destroying with chalkboard paint.
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Once the edged are taped up and you’ve wrapped some plastic around your shelf to prevent a paint mess, it’s time to start painting. Apply two or three smooth, even coats of chalkboard paint. You can even use chalkboard spray paint.
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After allowing the paint to full dry, carefully remove the tape and CDs. Your chalkboard-sided shelving unit is ready to go!
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The final product looks amazing! The shelves were filled with storage bins and file holders, creating an aesthetically pleasing easy, organized space.
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This family used their new shelving unit to store and organize keys, mail, craft supplies, and more. Plus, the chalkboard became a great space to write reminders and stay organized or just write playful notes to each other.
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They even added an IKEA magnet board and magazine rack beside the shelves!
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The space this family created completely out of a shelving mishap is an absolutely genius way to combine organization and style! Try it out yourself today!
