DIY Marble

 
Happy Earth Day weekend, everyone!!
In honor of this special day, I'm doing a project that has absolutely nothing to do with it.  Yay!

As someone who puts a lot of time and energy into projects, I am constantly on the lookout for new things to try.  Generally this means that, at any given time, I have about twenty new products piled up waiting for me to find the time to play.  This week I actually got around to testing one of them.

One of the trends that is blowing up the blogosphere is using contact paper to re-cover...well, whatever.  In particular, using marble contact paper.   After drooling over all of the possibilities (Pinterest is a dangerous, dangerous thing), I of course, bounced out to Amazon to purchase some.  Some of the bloggers I've read have recommended purchasing a higher quality (read: more expensive) brand with the fear that a lower priced version might look cheap, but I was perfectly pleased with the 7.95 roll I got.  My only complaint is that the adhesive on the back isn't crazy sticky (which is probably good if you only want it to be temporary), but a quick shot with my spray adhesive fixed any issue there. 

Though I love some of the larger projects I've seen online, I didn't want to start out with anything that I might regret wasting money on.  Instead, I purchased a sweet little wooden box from Michaels (on clearance for $2.50) to use as a test subject. 

I unscrewed the hinges and removed the top.  Using rubbing alcohol, I gave the box a quick wipe down to remove any oils or particles that might not allow the contact paper to adhere properly  (I used to skip this step, as I'm the most impatient DIYer in the world, but it truly does help). 

Conveniently, the adhesive vinyl paper has a grid on the back which makes premeasuring and cutting super easy. 

I first cut out a strip to wrap around the exterior of the bottom half of the box.  Then I measured and cut three additional pieces for the surfaces of the top of the box. 

Working in a well-ventilated area, I covered each side with spray adhesive, and pressed the peeled contact paper along the exterior, using a ruler to smooth out any bubbles.  I highly, highly, highly recommend spraying and working on only one side at a time.  Peeling the paper as you go (instead of as one giant strip) is helpful as well. 

Once both sides of the box were covered, I used a craft knife to remove any overhang or tidy up any edges.  Then a used a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges.  Okay, it was actually my nail file.  Cause it was closer.  And that is how I do.

The final step was to put the hinges back on, which I wouldn't have to have done but I liked the look of the gold.  I debated adhering the gold "E" back on (It was broken off when I purchased it.  The reason it was on clearance in the first place, I believe.) but, so far, I'm liking it as is. 

 
I have to say, I'm kinda loving the marble contact paper.  I have a feeling we'll be living in a very marbly house in a few months. 

This end table (an Ikea hack - I love those!) done by Style Me Pretty is so cute and looks as though it's much more expensive.  This may be happening shortly. 

Marble end table from Style Me Pretty

I'm hoping to knock out a few more projects this weekend, so who knows.  Maybe an Ikea trip is in my future!!

Have a happy weekend everyone!