Black & White Striped Bookshelf

I am obsessed with all things black and white. Especially stripes. When this little babe came into my life, it was screaming paint stripes on me. I am going to show you an easy way to paint stripes without even using a ruler. You can find an old broken down, sad looking bookshelf at a flea market or garage sale. Anything would work for this, as long as the shelves are removable.

To prep your bookshelf, use an orbital sander or sand by hand. Lightly sand the paint. If your bookshelf is made from particle board, be careful not to sand through the paint to the board. The texture will show through when you paint.

Once you have sanded, wipe it down with a clean cloth to remove dust. To create your stripes use painters tape in the size of the stripes you want. I used 2" tape. Use scissors to make a straight edge and lay the tape evenly down one side of the shelf from top to bottom. It is easier to make the bottom edge straight if you stop half way and then come from the bottom to meet in the center. The trick is to match up your tape edges exactly; if you hang one side of the tape off, even a little, it will show in your stripes. You can also use the edge of a credit card and gently slide it down the edge of the tape to help shape it into a straight line. Repeat this all the way across, lining the tape up next to the previous row. Once you have filled the entire back of the bookshelf, carefully remove every other tape row. This will leave perfectly spaced stripes. To prep the tape for painting, slide a credit card over the edges to help seal them.

Now you're ready to paint. Use any spray paint, in any color or finish you like. I got my paint from Jo Ann’s. I chose black with a flat finish because I was matching other furniture in my son’s room. A satin finish will still give a matt-like finish, but is easier to work with and shows less flaws. Flat paint has a way of showing everything you're trying to hide. Spray your shelves with an even, thin coat. Repeat two or three times until you achieve even and full coverage.

Wait until the paint has dried and slowly remove your tape.

Voila! A perfectly striped bookshelf for your stash.

My Stash of Materials:

Painters Tape

Rust-Oleum Painters Touch 2X Ultra Cover, Flat Black

Citrus Garden Signs

I love a fresh farm stand and I love picking fresh fruits and vegetables from my own yard even more. These Citrus garden signs make my yard feel like a farm stand. They're super simple to make and a perfect addition to your garden.

I purchased the wooden signs at Jo Ann’s. You could use any signs, really, but it is important they are made from a soft wood. These ones are perfect for this project and are inexpensive. They are also the same width as a piece of paper, which makes it super easy to make a template. They did, however, come with a serious need for sanding. I used an orbit sander to smooth the wood out. It is important that the wood is smooth so that the stain and paint are easily applied.

After I sanded the wood, I stained it using Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain, which I purchased from Jo Ann’s. To stain the wood, use a soft cloth and dip it directly in the stain. You don't need much and make sure you stir it well. Gently rub the stain into the wood and wipe away any excess stain. You can add as many layers as you like to achieve the color you prefer. I did two light coats because I wanted a very weathered look.

While the stain is drying, you can make your templates for your words and pictures. Since the signs are 11" wide, I just used Word and set my page to landscape. I always set my margins to .5, all the way around. This makes it easy to run my words to the edges and fill the space all the space. Pick your font. You can use any font you would like. My favorite place to get fonts from is www.dafont.com. It's loaded with tons of styles that are free and very easy to download and install. If you do choose a font that is very tall, make sure it only takes up about half the sign height so there is room for your picture. You can always print it out and hold it up to the sign to gauge where you are at, or use the ruler setting in word.

Once you have perfected your wording, make your picture. I always find clipart through Google. Just search images for lemon, lime or orange clipart. You are looking for a drawing type picture - one that uses bold lines because you will be painting lines only, no shading. You can even narrow your search by listing black and white drawing. Once you find a picture you like, copy and paste it into word. Adjust the size as needed and print it out. There is a trick to transferring your template onto the wood. Start with the wording and use painters tape to secure it in the exact position you want it, making sure to leave enough space underneath for the picture. Use a pencil and trace the letters pressing firmly. This is why you want soft wood. The pencil will leave an impression into the wood that you can trace with your paint pen. Because the impression is not easy to see, I painted my words before I traced my pictures. This way there wasn’t a ton of hard-to-see lines I was trying to trace. I used paint pens that I purchased from Jo Ann’s. I color matched them to the fruit. It is much easier to use a paint pen for thin lines than it is to try to use a paintbrush. Make sure you choose a tip that isn't too small, but also isn't too big. I chose a medium tip. Use your paint pen to slowly follow the template impression and you should have picture-perfect lettering. Follow the same steps for your citrus pictures.

Once the paint has dried, seal your signs with a weather-proof sealer. I used Rust-Oleum Spar Urathane Spray. This is important since the signs will be in your garden and will be susceptible to the elements. Make sure you get a waterproof sealer.

Your citrus garden signs are done and ready to be added to your stash!

My stash of materials:


3 Rustic Market Signs

Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain Weathered Gray

Painters Medium Tip Paint Pens

Rust-Oleum Spar Urethane Spray, Clear