DIY: Boost up your bookcase

By AMANDA MOTLEY

At this point in the semester, your dorm or apartment is starting to feel like your home-away-from-home. You might be starting to add personal touches or changing your living space around. Why not give your bookshelf from home a facelift? With just a can of spray paint and a little time, you can make your bookshelf look like a brand new piece of furniture. Not to mention you can have a new place to organize all your textbooks on.

Tip: Spray a few inches away from the bookcase surface and shake the bottle every few minutes to limit streaking and spotting. Watch for any paint drippings and make sure you get into all of the nooks and crannies.

Supplies:

1 bookcase

1-2 bottles of spray paint, depending on the size of the bookcase

Old sheet or cardboard for painting surface

Books, pictures, candles or anything else to spruce up and cover your bookcase with

Directions:

1. Clean off the bookcase with a damp cloth and let dry.
2. Lay the bookcase down on one side to spray paint (the best first position is to have the backside on the ground so you can spray paint the most space at first).
3. Shake the paint bottles vigorously and they spray a portion of the bookcase.
4. After spraying the first coat on one side, continue with the other side, but be careful not to smudge the paint.
5. Set to dry one hour.
6. Repeat steps 4-6 for a second coat. If you have a darker surface, you may need to do a third or fourth coat.
7. Set your bookcase where desired and cover it with books and other materials to make it your own.