Kitchen Shelf Makeover

When we moved into the house, the sellers left behind a few things (we told them they could). One of the things they left behind, was a wooden shelf that was above the kitchen window. I liked the idea of having a shelf there, but was not really digging the country looking heart in the center of it.

We have been in the house for a little over three years and I am finally getting around to doing something with the shelf. I personally would rather use what I have and upcycled it a bit, than buy something new. It saves money, and I know that the item isn't sitting in a landfill somewhere or stuck eternally on a thrift store shelf. I knew that I wanted something that mimicked the style of the other wall decor found around our downstairs.

I had the hardest time figuring out what to put over the heart. I didn't want a clock; I am too lazy to change the batteries and time(I am the person who doesn't change the clock in her car. I figure in a few months it will be the right time again). I though about maybe a decorative tile, but I couldn't find the right size or style. I finally found a cute, wooden appliqué...but it was too small. I returned it and bought it again during my trip back to the craft store. I decided to buy an oval wooden plaque and layer it with the wooden appliqué. I was so glad that the shape and size was finally just what I was looking for!

I glued the appliqué to the wooden oval, then painted and distressed it. I sanded down and painted the shelf and also distressed the edges some. I glued the oval over the heart with hot glue and popped the shelf right back onto the wall. The whole project took just a few hours.

I love how the shelf looks! I do have some toying around to do with vase arrangement on the top. I bought most of the vases at the dollar store and craft store. The cost for each one was between .50 and $1.50. The green one was $7 at TJ Max. To make each one unique, I wrapped the vases in twine, using hot glue and Modge Podge. I added ribbon or embellishments to add a bit of color and style.

As much as I love the shelf, it makes me want to refinish our builder grade cabinets. We want to extend our kitchen out a bit and need to find some matching cabinets so we can refinish what we have, instead of spending thousands of dollars on new cabinets. We have to wait until the size and model cabinets show up on Craigslist, Freecycle, or in the Habitat for Humanity store.