DIY Chevron Bookshelf

Today I completed my latest classroom improvement project and I think I fell in love with my classroom all over again. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I found the most amazing and adorable teal and white chevron shelf liner at TJ Maxx and instantly knew the perfect project for my latest bargain find.

I have this great little shelf near my teacher table that I use as "Volunteer Central." The shelf contains a box that I always keep projects and notes for my classroom volunteers to work on, as well as an array of classroom supplies for their use. I love the convenience of the little shelf, but I hated the color of it.
(Brace yourself - I've got a dirty mouth and I'm about to use the "P" word).

The color of my shelf was POOP brown and oh-so-ugly. But there wasn't much I could do about it. It's not real wood, so my beloved yellow spray paint was not likely to stick, and can't bring myself to use duct tape as an alternative to paint. The best I could do was use some cute owl fabric as a runner to help soften and disguise the situation.
Here is a before picture of the ugly shelf in my beloved colorful classroom. (Sigh)

Before

Add a little shelf liner and a lot of patience (lining up all those chevrons got a little tedious at times) and my classroom now contains a funky new piece of furniture!

After

You should seriously RUN out to TJ Maxx and buy this stuff up. They had lot of cute patterns (pink giraffe spots, brown giraffe spots, blue moroccan print, a black and grey cheetah print, and few sophisticated grey designs).

One quick note of caution:
I love this liner and it is perfect for my needs, but the quality is not as high as Contact brand adhesive paper. This was lighter weight and probably will not hold up as well over time. I wouldn't use it on a high traffic shelf that my students move materials on regularly. Since my volunteer shelf doesn't get much wear and tear, this chevron liner was perfect for me!



I'm linking this project up with Made it Monday (October Edition) over at Fourth Grade Frolics. You should see all the great DIYs!