Who’s ready for spring – or at least a spring-y makeover?
I’ve been itching to do another bookcase makeover, but good ones are hard to find in my area. So I was lucky to find a thrifted hutch that could be upcycled into a bookcase.
Here’s the Before…
and here’s the REAL before photo below (haha)… see it on the left there? The seller had priced the top and bottom pieces separately – good thing because all the actual bookcases in the store were just for display and not for sale.
It was made by Ethan Allen – Baumritter. Our area has tons of these Early American Colonial Ethan Allen pieces available pretty much everywhere. One good thing about painting them is I never have any bleed-through.
*This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience so you can easily find the products I use and recommend. You can also learn more about all of my favorite DIY products Here.
Fusion Mineral Paint sponsored this project and sent me Tones for Tots in the color Little Whale. It’s such a soft, pretty blue! Like a pastel duck egg blue.
I’ve used Fusion Mineral products before but never tried their Tones for Tots collection. They’re zero VOC, very little prep, and have a built-in topcoat. You can learn more about the paint Here.
First I removed the shelves and the back of the bookcase. That makes it easier to paint everything. Plus I knew I wanted to use Miss Mustard Seed’s stencil again that I used on this dresser last summer.
I didn’t do any other prep work before painting, besides just giving it a light wipe-down when it first came in my house.
The stenciled part is the color Picket Fence – also by Fusion Mineral Paint.
Remember when you’re stenciling to use a foam pouncer (find mine Here – it’s an inexpensive set of 6), just get a little bit of paint onto the foam, and blot it a couple times onto a paper towel. Less (paint) is more!
This stencil can be turned in any direction, used for all or only part of the design, and even flipped upside down. I turned it every which way on this panel, and made the design into a mirror image on either side of the middle line.
Important tip: Clean your stencil as soon as you can after you’ve finished. If you let the paint dry for too long, it won’t be so easy to clean off!
I nailed the panel back into place and Guy in the Garage made a bottom shelf so this piece would look more like a bookcase and less like a hutch. It was screwed in through the sides.
The new shelf was painted and then I swapped out the old rusted shelf supports for shiny new ones.
Fusion Mineral Paint is self-curing and doesn’t require a topcoat, so I didn’t use one. (Although you can use their Tough Coat product for extra protection on high-usage pieces like tabletops or desks.)
And here she is…
Miss Kitty sure is sitting pretty on this stenciled bookcase makeover. That’s another part of my DIY skills that I’ve been working on lately. 😉
I love the soft blue on this piece and the sweet stenciled background.
Here’s a before and after of this stenciled bookcase makeover again:
Please let me know what you think. Have you tried Fusion Mineral Paint before? Would you have stenciled the back or done it differently? Have you upcycled a hutch into a freestanding bookcase?
After leaving a comment, please pin this stenciled bookcase makeover or share it with someone else. I’d appreciate it so much, friend!
Jen
P.S. You can learn tons more about Fusion Mineral Paint products Here.
Susan says
Looks totally beautiful!!!
Cate says
Great job! It’s very sweet. LOVE Miss Kitty too!
Mary says
This is so gorgeous!! Do you ever share information on how much you pay for pieces and how much you sell them for? Just curious from a business perspective. Thanks 🙂 Love seeing all your beautiful creations!
Shellia Ventura says
Adorable! At first I was unsure I was going to like the stencil but after I saw your finished product it blew me away. It is so sweet. I love what you do. Thank you for always sharing.
ROSE LEFEBVRE says
that is so cool! Great job!!
Missy says
You have outdone yourself on this one Jen! The stencil on the back is what makes it, besides the beautiful paint color. Great job on both.
Dixie Lee says
This is adorable! color and stencil are very soft and appealing for a child.
Allison Anselmo says
What a great idea. I need to learn to look out side of the box..lol
I’m needing a bookshelf and having a problem finding something that is actual wood! Thanks for sharing this idea. I love that color and the stenciling too. Just enough to give it charm. I think it would be a great addition to a child’s room or even the right Kitchen!
MaryJean says
Jen, I love the way it turned out. The stenciling resembles lace. Very nicely done!
Lizzy Leff says
Love the color. It looks really great.
I wish the line wasn’t called Tones For Tots because I love those light pastels, but it makes me feel weird using them on non-nursery items.
Robin says
So cute, wondering how it would look with short little feet.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
That’s a good idea Robin, it would look nice. But unfortunately it’s not possible with the board we added to the bottom- there needs to be a lot more support down there for screwing feet into.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thanks Lizzy! Aww, what’s in a name? 😉 Fusion has several other beautiful blues that aren’t in the Tones for Tots collection. 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thanks MaryJean! I kept thinking of The Secret Garden when I was stenciling – like twisted vines. But I can see how it resembles lace too. 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thanks so much, Allison!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Dixie Lee 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Aww thanks so much, Missy!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Rose!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Oh, that’s funny! 🙂 I’m glad you liked it. Thanks so much Shellia!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Mary! When I first bring a piece home, sometimes I’ll post a photo and price I paid on Facebook. Not usually in my blog posts though. This one was $30 or 35 I think. I haven’t decided if I’m going to sell it or keep it for my market displays. 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Aww thanks so much, Cate! 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Susan! xo
Bonnie Hipps says
What a beautiful makeover. I love the blue and the stencil was the finishing touch. You put a lot of time in that!
Jennie Bond says
Nice subtle transformation, Like it a lot.
Colette says
Love it!
Mary says
What a great deal! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Marie-The Interior Frugalista says
It’s so pretty, Jen and what a great idea for repurposing the top portion of a small hutch. You’ve totally piqued my interest and want to know more about that adorable fabric kitty. Have you posted them on the blog yet?
julie says
So cute ! Fusion Mineral Paint is my go to line. Just love it!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thanks Marie! I won’t be sharing a tutorial for Kitty, but I might do a blog post to announce when I finally launch my etsy shop. 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thanks so much, Julie! I love that Fusion doesn’t usually need a topcoat – makes projects so much easier. 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Jennie! 🙂
Tracy Shudo says
Very nice loved all of it. Love the paint colour, nice stencil. Just a question why was bottom shelf but above the piece of wood at bottom? Just an ask.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Tracy, thank you! I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understand your question. The new bottom shelf is flat against the ground and it’s screwed in on both sides. I hope that makes sense. 🙂
KK says
This is super sweet! I love that it can pretty much work anywhere. I’m always hesitant to try stencils as I have a hard time EVER visualizing the outcome- but this is inspiration to try (but maybe for me on a smaller scale- eek!!) 🙂
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you! Yes you must give stencils a try! There are much cooler styles than there were years ago. Miss Mustard Seed has some sweet ones, but there are good ones on Amazon too. I also like Royal Design Studio stencils online. 🙂
Missy says
I love the color and your choice of stencils. They go together so nicely. I’d like to try this paint.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Thank you Missy! You can find a Fusion Mineral Paint retailer here: https://fusionmineralpaint.com/where-to-buy If there’s not one near you, you can also find it online on Amazon or Etsy.