Cute DIY Wall Storage

I made some very low cost, easy DIY wall storage using wrapping paper, Mod Podge, and wall mounted plastic file holders. I use them for book storage in Bea's room, but they could easily be used to store toys, diapers, and many other items.

To cover the holders I used these simple steps:

Step 1) Gather supplies.

You will need:
- Wall mounted file holder
- Wrapping paper, fabric, or other type of covering
- Scissors
- Mod Podge
- Paint brush
- Credit card, or other device you can use for smoothing the paper
(- Screw driver/drill for mounting to wall)

Source

I think I found the clear plastic wall mounted file holders at Target for about $6 each, but they should be at most office supply stores. I purchased some cheap wrapping paper at Target - I think the thin stuff is easier to work with so cheap is good. I used two different, complimentary patterns that fit the scheme of my room - one for the outside and one for the inside & the rim. You could also use fabric.

Step 2) Cover the inside of the bin.

Don't worry about the holes the screws go through, you can cut through the paper after it dries. There is a potential for rippling in the paper, so use a thin layer of Mod Podge and be tactful when putting the paper on - start at one end and use a credit card or something to push the paper down from one side to the other. I just used one piece of paper that I cut generally to size and cut a wedge out of the bottom corners of the paper so that there wouldn't be a lot of excess at the fold. You can kind of snip as you go  if you find the paper is bunching in the corners when you are gluing. Make the piece of paper big enough to fold over the top of the bin to cover the rim. You obviously don't have to be quite as careful about rippling or little imperfections when putting on the paper inside as you do when covering the outside. It's nice to get an idea of how the paper and glue work together on the inside first so you have a better idea when doing the more visible outside.

Step 3) Cover the outside of the bin.

To do the outside I used 3 separate pieces of paper - one for each of the sides and one for the front that tucked under to cover the bottom as well (sections seen in above photo). I cut them generally to size and again painted on Mod Podge as glue. I put on the two sides first and then put the front on last. I was a little more precise when cutting the front piece so that the edges were straight along the corners and top.

Step 4) Apply 2 layers of Mod Podge all over the glued on paper to seal and protect.

Allow the Mod Podge to dry for several hours between coats. This may be a good time to cut through the holes for the screws before the paper gets too thick and hard, but you can always drill through if necessary.

Step 5) Let everything dry for at least 24 hours and then hang on the wall.

One cool thing about these DIY wall bins is that they are adaptable. Now that the surface has some grip to it, you can easily paint over the paper if color schemes change down the line, as they have for us. Bea will be sharing her room with Jack when he arrives, so I needed to lose some pink and get some blue in the room. I easily painted the outside of these book holders with aqua acrylic paint and left the inside paper portion so that it would still cover the rim and add a little more character. I sealed the paint with a layer of Mod Podge to help protect the paint job. Easy peasy!