DIY Shabby Chic With Paper Clay

by Patricia

5 Materials

I found a small wall shelf with a country theme at a thrift store recently. I wanted to give it a new look, so I painted it white. But it looked a little too plain, so I decided to dress it up with paper clay.

First I cleaned the shelf and lightly sanded the top where there was decorative painting.

I painted it white and lightly distressed it. But I thought it looked too plain at this point. So I brought out my paper clay and molds.

I have links on my blog for the exact molds I used, but you can use any mold that works for your piece. I lightly dusted the molds with cornstarch. This allows for easier release of the clay. If by chance it doesn't work then it's easy to knead the clay and try again.

I pushed the clay into the molds.

Then simply bent the molds to release the clay.

I liked using this mold because I was able to make three flowers at a time. Being able to make multiple flowers at once speeds up the process. Overall it's not time consuming, but I needed a lot of flowers for this project!

I used another mold to make a decorative piece for the top of the shelf. The paper clay needs to air dry. It does dry fairly quickly but will depend on how thick the mold is. I let mine dry overnight.

I lined the front of each shelf with the small flowers. I used E6000 glue to attach the flowers to the shelf.

After I attached the flowers I painted them white to match the shelf.

I think the flowers add a touch of romance!

I used the same technique on another small project

I used a similar technique on another small project. This was a magazine rack that previously had a country theme.

The new paint and paper clay gave it a whole new look! After working on both these projects I felt confident enough to try it on a large project. So far it's turning out fantastic! I'll be sure to share the project when it's all finished. If you would like to follow along then head over to my blog -- new friends are always welcome! http://theblacksheepshoppe.blogspot.com/