I've mentioned the overpriced and pointless, yet tiny and cute, toys popular among young girls called Shopkins. I've also mentioned how Munchface loves them. Well, once we finalized the paint and developed an inspiration board, I wanted to continue with incorporating the kid's design ideas into her room. As we unpacked, the kid was excited to pull out her Shopkins toys. I know what you're thinking and yes, that is all she does when she "plays" with the toys. I watched as she pulled them out and lined them up. After about 10 minutes of talking about them, she tossed them into a pile and walked away. Annoyed, I returned to my bedroom, vowed I'd never spend a dollar on another silly Shopkin and (almost on queue) the kid came in and plopped on the bed with a request.
"Mom, can you make me something to put my Shopkins up on the wall. They're so cute and I like seeing how many I have."
I reminded myself of the commitment to incorporate her ideas so I (reluctantly) agreed and, despite rolling my eyes at the thought of tacky toys as decor, I set out to find cute storage options. All of the super cute storage options were also super expensive. I already pay more than I'd prefer for the tiny toys, I was not about to spend a lot trying to display them. On a shopping trip to Goodwill, I saw a buffet drawer liner. A buffet is usually kept in or around the dining room table; the top drawer holds the fancy silverware. The best part? The drawer insert was priced at a whopping $2! It was cheap and its solid wood construction made it a go for me.
I bought it and Z was convinced I was crazy until I explained that we would use the same neutral color to create an affordable Shopkins shelf for her room. She was so excited that she insisted we hurry home and get to work.
The rain didn't stop her; she painted inside!
You can see the coverage. It took two coats to get the coverage I wanted.
Munch was focused and did a great job painting. Once it dried, I used Command strips to hang it. Once on the wall, we sorted her Shopkins by color and fell in love with the look. I thought seeing the toys would make it more likely Munch would play with them. NOPE.
She still had little desire to actually play with the toys. Months later, I realized I was super excited when Lea played with the toys. Seriously, it was so cute and exciting to see them get some use. Can you see in the photo above how the shelf appears to blend into the wall? Can you also see the horizontal stripes painted on the wall?
Here are some tips for creating a faux built-in or Shopkins display shelf.
1. Use the same wall color to paint the shelf. Collections pop more when the display mechanism is able to disappear into the wall.
2. If you decided to paint the piece and you decide to use the same color, consider using a different gloss.
3. If the collection is not a feature item for the room, consider the use (type, frequency, etc.) and adjust its location accordingly. I placed the Shopkins shelf low enough for Munch to access her toys quickly. I also provided a fur stool for her to sit and play beside the shelf.
We love how it turned out and Munch loves how she is able to see some of her favorite things everyday. Allowing the kid to have a say in the overall design gave her ownership and appreciation for the space.
Enjoy!
Post a Comment