How To Paint Bookshelves

Today’s feature is from Domino Magazine with How to Paint Bookshelves:

This project can be done in a weekend, and freshens up the most basic of bookcases. Painting the inside back of your bookshelves will give books, tchotchkes and that shiny new iPod speaker set a sassy showcase.

This is an easy-level project, all you need to do is remove the back panel of the bookshelf, dust and wipe it down, roll on a coat of water-based primer, a couple coats of laytex paint (allowing to fully dry between coats), reattach the back and voila! you can turn a boring old bookshelf into something as bright and perky as you like.

These instructions are for painting the back panel of the bookcase. If you want to paint the whole thing, prime and paint it as above but first lightly sand the bookshelf all over (before and after the first primer coat–and after the first coat of paint just to be safe). The paint might peel right off if you don’t (I’ve had this happen on a project–not fun!). If the back panel of your bookcase is that plastic-type finish (the cheap bookcase stuff), I’d lightly sand it too before painting.

The light sanding helps create a grid for the paint to hold onto. If you like, you could give the bookshelf a clear coat finish to help protect the paint from chipping.

Please visit the site above for all the details (updated link to the web archive since original site is no longer online).

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