Our bedroom got a new addition recently and I’ve been in #shelfie mode ever since. Plus with a new budget keeping our excess spending in check, I had to get creative with how I decorated it. Didn’t want to spend that precious eating out money on decorations. Girl needs her noms.
After adding a few things here and there of items I already owned, a formula for shelf-decorating success started to pop up in my head. Some super simple rules to follow to decorate a new shelf with items you already owned. And it’s basically a no brainer.
First up, find a few bins. I shamefully have a box full of them in our basement waiting for their future storage glory. I picked two that matched and toted them back upstairs. I chose two different sizes for a bit of of an unbalanced look. You can store anything you want in them (blankets, movies, etc.) but my squishy collection demanded a spot. Plus it adds a fun pop of personalty and color.
Next find a few travel or life souvenirs. This Tardis Alex made me out of a beer box to ask me to be his girlfriend. It lights up and everything. I’m still quite impressed to this day so I love having it out on display. It’s an interesting element to add to the shelf, but also sentimental as well. Win win.
Then add some plants. A living element does wonders to the look of a shelf and brightens up a space. I’m a big fan and in a quest to put at least one plant in every room of the house.
Pile on more trinkets, collections, or mementos. We all have things we collect, so why not put some on display to spark conversation and add personality to a space. My Gilmore Girls figurines demanded it really.
Stagger your boxes so they don’t weigh down one side of your shelf more than the other. Then pop in some old magazines, a few of your favorite books, or in my case planner supplies. We all have them so why not give them a second life?
Photos are also a super easy addition to styling a shelf and you probably have a few printed up here and there already. Or it’s a great excuse to finally get a photo printed to put in that frame you bought a while ago.
Keep it simple.
Let your shelf breathe. You don’t need to jam pack it full of items and things. I love leaving a section blank or with just a few items to make the shelf seem lighter and with room for potential. Kinda like I didn’t try and style it at all, it just sort of happened. Plus Tardis loves this thing and lays on it constantly in the open spaces.
A lot of these items you probably already own so grab a few, lay them all out, and start styling your shelf.
