How to Easily Give Outdated Shelves a Farmhouse Look

Tools and Materials

• Three Wood Shelves
• Damp Cloth
• White Chalk Paint
• Black Chalk Paint
• Natural Bristle Brush
• Natural Bristle Chip Brush
• Sawtooth Hangers
• Triangle Hangers (for heavier objects)
• Chicken Wire
• Staple Gun
• Staples
• Wire Cutters
• Decor Items

I had these great wood box shelves already in my house and I decided to update them and give them more of a rustic farmhouse look. The wood was clean and smooth so I didn’t really need to do anything to prep the shelves for the paint except wipe them down with a damp cloth and allow them to dry. 

To start the makeover, I lightly painted on a coat of thick white chalk paint. I wanted the paint to look worn and distressed so didn’t cover every inch of the wood boxes. With less paint on the brush than normal and a light touch, I was able to give the paint a more textured and uneven look. This made the shelves already look like they had been painted years ago and not only ten minutes ago. 

By adding wisps of black chalk paint on top of the white, I was able to create the look of even more depth and wear to the surface. I used a natural bristle chip brush with just a little paint on it to achieve this. The uneven bristles of the chip brush added bits of paint here and there that gave the look of wood grain.

With both colors of paint on and dried, it was time to add the ultimate farmhouse accessory; chicken wire. Since most chicken wire comes in rolls, I needed to cut it down into a more manageable size before working with it. To cut the chicken wire into the size that I would need for my shelves, I was able to easily snip it down using some wire cutters.

Once the chicken wire was cut down to the rough size of the boxes it was a lot easier to work with. To attach it to the wood shelves, I laid the box with its back facing up and the laid the chicken wire over it. I then used the staple gun to hold it in place by stapling each wire so that it would lay tight to the boxes.

Even with the stapling done, there were still little bits of the chicken wire that hung over the edges of the boxes. I used the wire cutters again and snipped them down close to the edges. If I wasn’t able to get close enough, I used the wire cutter to bend the wires over the staples and tapped them into the back of the wood. Doing this helped to keep the rough edges from scratching the wall and helped the shelves to lay flat against the wall once they were hung. 

To hang the shelves, I chose to use sawtooth hangers on the back of the boxes. What I had planned to put on them wasn’t overly heavy so these worked for my purpose. If you plan to put heavy objects on the shelves though I would recommend using a heavier hanger like a triangle hanger. These can handle more weight and will be a little sturdier for heavier items.  

With the new rustic farmhouse look of the shelves, I wanted to decorate them with things that had the same look and feel. I chose some rustic flowers, a white vase, a wood frame, and a few other objects that had an old country feel to them. Hanging the shelves in a group of three also made them look visually appealing instead of just putting up one on its own. The group of them filled the wall nicely and added such a pretty display to look at. 

I am so happy with the change the paint and chicken wire gave these old tired boxes. With just a few supplies I was able to transform something that I already had in my home and give them a new, beautiful look. I would encourage you to look around your house and see what you can find that could use a little updating. It’s a great way to save some money while refreshing your decor with a new look.