Add gothic accessories to your bookshelf to complete the gothed-out makeover.
If your collection of gothic literature is getting out of control and difficult to store, make your own storage solution that will let your favorite novels rest in peace. Use a few simple techniques to make your standard bookcase into a gothic centerpiece, sure to start a conversation whenever guests come to visit. You don't have to be a professional decorator to create a bookcase the Addams family would love; use this same technique to spruce up the rest of your furniture while you're at it. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Paint the entire bookshelf black. Coat it with at least two coats of furniture-quality black paint to protect the surface and make sure it is fully saturated in color. Let the paint dry completely after each coat.
2. Use sandpaper to rough up the edges of the paint job to make the bookshelf seem older. Focus on areas of the bookshelf that would normally receive the most wear and tear, such as the corners and any areas that stick out more than others. Gently rub these areas with light sandpaper until a little of the wood shows through the paint.
3. Tear pages out of old gothic novels, such as Bram Stoker's "Dracula" or Edgar Allan Poe poems. Try to find passages that describe particularly scary scenes.
4. Apply decoupage glue to the bookshelf, covering the back wall on the top shelf --- the one facing out. Cover the glue with the pages you tore out of the books, overlapping them as needed to cover the entire section of the shelf. Apply another layer of decoupage glue to seal the finish, then repeat this with the other back wall sections of the bookshelf.
5. Add gothic accessories to your bookshelf. Put a wrought-iron or black metal candelabrum on the top and add red glass votive candleholders around the shelves to the sides of the books. Purchase a gargoyle and perch him on the top shelf to ward off evil spirits, then fill the shelves with all your scariest books.
Tags: accessories your, accessories your bookshelf, back wall, decoupage glue, gothic accessories
