Wood grain contact paper has taken a bad rap - and it can look tacky - but applied discretely it still works. I put it on the fiberboard shelves of a light natural wicker bookcase we got at an estate sale and the color is just right.
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Modern Wall Decorations. I saw a great idea for a modern wall decoration. Use shapes cut out of black contact paper for the graphics effect.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Recently (this morning) I did my first project using contac paper. I covered an oatmeal container. I found a roll of "white marble" looking paper and couldn't resist it. And now I'm hooked on the stuff. I'm going to cover the little computer diskette box I keep my pens in, but can anyone tell me more uses for this pretty paper?
Contac paper can be used to cover cut-off 5 liter wine boxes to turn them into great magazine holders. I recycle most magazines, but a few, like my Yoga Journal, I have saved over the years. I find the 5 liter box is the perfect size for most magazines.
Thanks Paula, what a good idea, I will try that. I can think of lots of things that size box would be good for, my knitting patterns for one. Now I can't wait to go get a box of wine to drink! LOL --Jayne
We had a small bathroom that wouldn't keep regular wallpaper on the walls. I found some contact paper that I liked, and put it from the ceiling down about half-way, then put a chair rail painted to match the flowers in the wallpaper, and then painted from the rail down to the floor. It really came out nice, and my friends wanted to know who had done the work for me, and where I bought the pretty wallpaper!
What did you use the oatmeal container for? I eat a lot of oatmeal and I've been saving the containers...I know I can use them for something!!
For Janet: I used the first oatmeal container to hold a skein of slippery yarn as I knit. Cut a hole in the lid. Reminds me of an old-fashioned knitting bag I had as a young girl. Plans for the second and third: 2nd one I get - keep my rolls of narrow ribbon in there.
Yee Hah, contact paper queen checking in.
Cover Juice cans for pen/pencils. I got a piece of heavy (1/4 inch thick) cardboard from fabric counter trash at Wal Mart, covered it with "parquet" wood pattern & my keyboard is on it right now. Great Lapdesk sitting on top of the box the keyboard came in, covered with clear so I don't lose the part number.
I have "acres" of boxes covered with the stuff too and I used the white marble to cover the small medicine cabinets in our bathrooms when they started to rust because I loathe the smell of paint, though some contact paper stinks too.
Check yard sales & thrift shops, folks donate the stuff and if anybody finds Brick pattern, please email here and let me Know. It is my "Grail Quest".
I covered my kitchen cabinets too. The upper ones still look nice, my cats shredded the lower ones so I hope to find a not so stinky paint for them.
I look in stores for discarded boxes that have pegs in them. I have these in several rooms. I just cover the advertising logos with contact paper. It really helps to organize, one of the few successes I have in that area.
One time I found some "peg board" attached to a big makeup display. I cut off the peg sections & punched hanging holes in the tops then covered with red & white check. These were my first pegs & I've had them for over 30 years with neckchains hanging on them.
I put some beige on top of my dryer when it got a lot of rust spots on it. Just don't cover the controls or lint filter door. I covered my circuit breaker box door & I've done extensive cat damage repairs to walls too.
When I see a pattern I really like unless it's Too Expensive I buy a couple of rolls & file it. I'm about to cover my toilet seat to match my bathroom cupboard doors.
Does anybody know if covering a mailbox is practical? Store bought mailbox covers are EXPENSIVE!
Oh yeah if you put a jigsaw puzzle together on a posterboard, put clear over the picture & a pretty wood grain pattern around the edge to Frame it.
Thanks, this is fun.
For Linne: First of all, Thank You Contact Paper Queen for all the good ideas. You are an inspiration!
I have one question, what is a box with pegs in it?
I think it would be worth a try covering a mailbox. Maybe sand it a bit to rough it up first, and be sure your edges are long, maybe duct tape them underneath and inside to be sure the contact stays on longer. So what if it comes off after a season, you could change it for the seasons anyway!
I covered my first square box this weekend. Cut dividers out of cereal boxes and made a very nice file box for my recipes.
Maybe someday I can be one of your Contact Princesses! :D
--Jayne
I covered 2 panes of glass in my dining room window with clear Contact paper last week --
There USED to be a nice big grassy lot to look out at when dining there - but now there is a care home who poured a slab of concrete & put a big ugly -green dumpster there - EW! I can see it from the window in my front room too--
The clear contact has little designs in it - but is frosted - we still get the window light - & great for when my drapes are down to clean -
I was checking online and found this site I was hoping someone could help me. I live in an apartment and the kitchen cabinets are ugly. I can't do anything permanent on them so I was wondering does contact paper come off? Or is there something else out there I can use?
Hi Nani,
We posted yours as a Reader's Request:
www.thriftyfun.com/
Susan from ThriftyFun
I have many uses for contac paper here is the list
1.cover a shoe box for picture,cards,or anything else.
2.cover my son's school books to protect them.
3.used for kitchen&bathroom wallpaper in rented house.
4.coverd old scratched up end table top with granite/stone one and can be used for old counters and back splash.
A friend of mine at work uses pretty Contac paper to cover her manila file folders. There very distinctive and, of course, gorgeous!
I just covered an area under my sink with black and white check Contac paper. After less than a week it has gotten scratched just from putting a plastic container on it. Has anyone tried putting varnish on Contac paper?
I wonder if I could paint contact paper and then put it over my apartment kitchen cabinets? Also is it easy to remove from them and will it ruin the cabinets?
Jayne, I use Contac wallpaper to decorate between my upper and lower kitchen cabinets. I have a kitchen/family room with fireplace, etc. When I want to change the color scheme, I just look for favorite colors in Contac wallpaper and change the colors. I get lots of compliments on it. I enjoy the fact that it is inexpensive and yet so satisfying. I do the wallpapering myself. Maybe you might like to try it. Mary mecjr @ earthlink .net
I have covered my bathroom cabinet doors with contact paper - & it's the best they ever looked - I have also used it for faux marble tops over melamine tops - and covered particle board shelves...& used the marble pattern to cover a set of file cabinets....I have also covered a plastic wastepaper basket to match the decor....Some of the patterns can be cheesy - but the stone/marble finishes are particularly nice & they used to have a tortoise shell you can't find anymore....
You can create a sense of privacy without adding shades or curtains to a window. Get a frosted glass look using contact paper. It is an inexpensive way to create a privacy window in a bathroom or any other window you would like some privacy but not loss of light.
This is a page about using ConTact paper for protecting sewing patterns. Sewing pattern paper is very thin and can easily be damaged, especially if the pattern is used multiple times.
This is a page about putting contact paper over wall tile in a bathroom. Covering ugly ceramic wall tile has been done with good quality contact paper. Some people have had success with painting the tile instead.
This is a page about craft uses for contact paper. Contact paper, whether the type with a printed pattern, clear, or translucent all can be used in a variety of craft projects.
