My cupboard gives thanks

From pretty drab to kind of fab

A few weeks ago a friend gave me some rolls of contact paper that she'd had laying around. My friend was purging her home, and so I happily brought the contact paper back to my non-purged and increasingly cluttered home.

I have been wanting to add some charm to my kitchen, as it is looking more and more like we will be staying in our house for a while. I have a lovely house that I am grateful for, but it is small and with one herding dog, one needy cat, and one toddler, I find myself yearning daily for more space. Instead, I am having to reevaluate the space I already have.

I have my own plans for purging and curating our home in the next couple months, but beyond this need to simplify is a strong desire and enthusiasm to create, particularly using things I already have.

This particular project was very easy and fast, and adds a nice touch of whimsy to the interior of my kitchen cupboard. Eventually I would like to do something like this, (which will really showcase said cupboards new backdrop):

For this project I used scissors and measuring tape - that's it. It helped tremendously that the paper has a distinct pattern to it; even when I measure meticulously I invariably swerve in my cutting. The pattern helped keep me on point. I was able to accomplish this little project during my toddler's nap, which is another way of saying, it took very little time.

I am considering doing an impermanent (but permanent looking) backsplash with this other contact paper she gave me: From a distance it looks like tile and color-wise, looks like it was customized for my kitchen. I can't decide if a papered backsplash is charming or cheap? My only reticence is the time it will take to do a project that has no guarantees.

In this next year I resolve to tackle at least one project a month. I believe that the more you create within your own life and home the more your creative confidence blooms. This was such a simple project but its fruition will hopefully be the impetus for further, more complicated ones.

Happiness can sometimes be found in the smallest things.