Alright, who else had a crazy busy thanksgiving week(end)...cause it could not have been just me. My soon-to-be in-laws (that's so many dashes..) were here for the last 10 days and it was insane. I like to think I'm pretty lucky in the in-law department. I've been around the Roczey (sounds like: Roxy) family for almost 8 years, and even lived with them for three, so there's definitely no filters or boundaries there, which makes the holidays crazy - in the best way. I can't wait until we can all live in the same state and have huge family holidays. But, for now, we live in Minnesota, where it's currently snowing, and cold, and windy. But it definitely gets you into the holiday spirit!
Anyways, having family visit really makes you take a look at your home and all the things it's missing (or is that just me?) So before their visit I did a little sprucing and purchased a few things which I'll be sharing any day now. One of the things I didn't quite get to was the two bookshelves in the living room. I don't believe I've showed those to you guys yet, but their just white IKEA bookshelves on either side of our TV. I'm starting to figure out that, as much as I love a good bookshelf, they are so hard to decorate when you're on a budget, simply because it feels like you need so many little things that you might never actually use, but their nice to look at....and let's face it, "nice to look at" is a lot harder to spend money on than something you'll use or wear everyday. Am I right?! I found myself obssesively noticing these empty bookshelves and hearing them taunt me...okay, I'm being dramatic, but they totally bothered me. I decided to find a way to fill some of the space with some storage bins becuase I needed a place for all the miscellaneous things in our house, like spray paint, tape, spare chargers, etc. That's what brought me to the dollar store! I found these HIDEOUSLY blue buckets...
I knew that with a good coat (or two) of metallic gold spray paint, these babies had real potential. And for only a dollar a piece it was such a steal.
Now, spray painting plastic is not an easy task, but with some trial and error, I have a few small tips that make all the difference. You're going to want to start with these items...
Shown here
Valspar Metallic - Brilliant Gold : $5.88
Disposable gloves from the Dollar Store : $1 for 100 of them
Plastic drop cloth from Lowe's : $2.00
I have a clear acrylic coat shown here too (the white can) but I did not use this! It ruins the metallic spray paint...as I learned the hard way...
Not shown here:
Sand paper from Lowe's : $2.00
Optional** Valspar Plastic Primer (I didn't use this just because I didn't have it on hand and I didn't learn about it until after I painted...oops. But it will help the paint stay put over time.)
First:
Make sure you clean your containers with soap and water first and dry them really well. If you're working with a really smooth surface, run some sand paper over them to give it a little texture. Wipe away any excess. Then lay down your drop cloth in a safe work space and place your buckets face down.
Second:
If you have the plastic primer, this is the time to use it. Then spray paint all sides of your buckets angling the spray can downwards. Make sure to do multiple light coats rather than one heavy coat so that it doesn't drip. Don't forget the gloves!!
Three:
Finish the outside walls first and allow them to dry for about an hour. Then flip them over and lightly coat the inside, let dry, and repeat until fully covered.
Four:
After you finish painting your containers give them a solid 12 hours before you handle them lightly and a few days to settle before you use them or handle them roughly. The downside to painting plastic is that it takes a long time for the paint to settle. But it's worth the wait! Here is what your finished product should look like!
Here is a before an after...gold spray paint is a miracle! (Ignore the frost on the gold one, I left them outside overnight and it was like 13 degrees outside...oops! They were fine once they defrosted!)
Here they are in action on our bookshelf! Ill post a picture of both shelves when they are finished!
Here are all the deets on the other decor on the shelves!
The gold ball is from Kirkland's. It was actually a gift so I'm not sure about the price but here is a similar one! The magazines are a mix of bridal mags and fashion mags. I honestly don't really read them, but they fit it with the color scheme so they found their home in my living room! The flowers are fake and from pottery barn. I got them YEARS ago so I doubt they have them anymore, but you can find similar ones at any home decor store...like Home Goods!
I literally died over sheer excitement after I put this together...I have a seriously ridiculous obsession with anything Kate Spade, so when I came across this shopping bag from their store I knew I just had to use it somewhere in my house! I had these fake white roses from The Dollar Tree. They come in bunches. I used three bunches and cut them into single stem flowers so I could manipulate them more easily. I messed around with them in the bag until I got it how I wanted it...and that's it! So, like $3! I stare at it all the time!
The candle is like a faint blush color and its beaded. I got it from Home Goods for $4.99 and it fits in my color scheme so perfectly its insane! The candle holder is also from Home Goods and it was $6.99 I believe.
I love how easy the containers were and how great they came out! Ill be adding labels to them so I know what each one is holding. But other than that, they are done and I no longer have to stare at an empty bookshelf! Win, Win!
Thanks so much for checking in and reading today guys! Don't forget to subscribe via email (you will not get any spam, only one email if I post something new.) and follow me on instagram : @thecaliforniacupcake
Leave me comments if you have any questions or if you have any good tips I missed!
XO.
Classy :-)
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